Conservation & Salmon Enhancement

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The Peterson family has been involved in salmon enhancement for many years Focus on smolts For the past 11 years, the focus has been on net-pen rearing salmon smolts, starting with pinks in 1985. Imagine the Petersons' delight when 5000 pink salmon returned to the very net-pen in which they were reared in the fall of 1986! Successful net-pen rearing! The success achieved with the pinks prompted the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada to start a pilot chinook program in Discovery Passage at the same site - Goose Bay, tucked in behind April Point. The water quality and temperature plus abundant natural feed in a protected environment along with adequate fresh water made this a perfect site. The program was expanded to 2 pens and since that time there have been over 5 million chinook salmon released. These same fish return in 3-5 year cycles, spawning in the nearby Campbell River, the nearest fresh water source, and in fact, the river of their birth. A pilot coho salmon program came on stream in February 1998, with 55,000 yearling coho. By mid-June they had reached a length of 8 inches. It is anticipated that these Coho will remain within a 10 mile radius of area where they were raised. They are now fishable and will be eturning to spawn in August & September, 2000. Funding has been provided by guests of April Point Lodge, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Pacific Salmon Foundation and the Peterson family - fisherfolk of vision and like mind. The work of feeding these hungry fish (sometimes every four hours) has been enthusiastically done by April Point Lodge guides and staff over the years, and now by members of the Peterson family, who give their thanks to all who have contributed. Welcome contributions... A recent contribution of $2,500.00 by Mr. & Mrs. George Swindell of Bellevue, Washington tops the list of donations so far. Without the help of generous fishermen and women, projects like this would not fare nearly as well.

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