A project to increase salmon numbers in the Waitaki River has
received a boost with a grant from the Community Trust of
Otago to the Waitaki Riparian Enhancement Society.
The society has received $4500 as it hatches its first salmon
eggs at McKinnon's Hatchery.
These will later this year be transferred to a rearing race
at Bells Pond, on the north bank of the river, to be grown on
before being released late next year or early the following
year.
Society chairman Brent Packman said yesterday the society was
also about to build a hatchery on Welcome Stream, on the
south side of the river, using contractor supervision and
voluntary labour.
The hatchery building, which would include solar panels to
power incubators and raising trays, would be ready for
harvesting salmon next season.
The society, which has about 200 members, was formed in April
last year after a public meeting to discuss how to improve
salmon numbers, which had fallen in recent years.
That led to the formation of the trust, the identification of
a raceway at Bell's Pond suitable for rearing salmon and
establishing a hatchery on Welcome Stream.
Salmon were harvested from the Hakataramea River earlier this
year and brought to Welcome Stream where they were stripped,
eggs being sent to the McKinnon's Hatchery.
Mr Packman said they now had 10,000 fingerlings hatched and
ready to be transferred to trays. Once at a suitable size,
they would be brought to the race at Bell's Pond, probably
early October.
Because this was the first season, Mr Packman was unsure how
quickly they would grow and other factors which would
influenced their release, but estimated the earliest would be
late next year.
Fins would be clipped for anglers to record when the salmon
returned, providing data on the success of the programme.
david.bruce@odt.co.nz
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