Fish Friends

Don Ivany, ASF's Regional Director for Newfoundland and Labrador in cooperation with SAEN, NL Power, Sobeys, ASF and the Fluvarian have been actively involved with the ASF Fish Friend Program.

For the past 15 years, Mr. Ivany has coordinated the collecting of wild adult salmon from Newfoundland and Labrador rivers to ensure a supply of eggs for Fish Friends schools throughout the province. Since there are no incubation facilities in operation in the province, Mr. Ivany and ASF affiliates and volunteers now keep the eggs in hatcheries that they operate and maintain themselves. The eggs are closely monitored until they reach the "eyed stage" of development and are ready for delivery to schools. Students then assume the responsibility of looking after them in miniature in-classroom incubators.

Once the eggs hatch the students feed the young fish until they are ready for release into rivers in early June. Through this nurturing process, these children will begin to understand what happens to our wild salmon stocks in the future depend on how well we look after them now. The highlight of the program occurs when all 1,500 participating Newfoundland and Labrador students release their young salmon into their rivers of origin and watch them swim away.

"Fish Friends is an awesome program," states Mr. Ivany. "With an integrated curriculum, enhanced by the hands-on experience of caring for salmon eggs and tiny fish babies as they develop in their classroom incubators, children learn about the importance of habitat, conservation, and preserving natural resources in their own backyards. As well, the program was designed to incorporate regular classroom studies, such as math, science, and language arts."

There are approximately 16 schools currently active in Eastern Newfoundland with the fish friends program which SAEN members deliver. These schools introduce the fry to their new home every June in the Waterford River system.

To date over a quarter million fry have been released.

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