STOCKING OF FISH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23659, 18 May 1940, Page 13

STOCKING OF FISH

BRITISH COLUMBIA SALMON AND TROUT [fhom our own correspondent] OTTAWA, April 19 More than 34 million little salmon and trout were distributed iii suitable waters in the Maritime Provinces and British Columbia, by the Canadian Government during 1939. Most of these little fish had been carefully fed in hatchery ponds before liberation, and all reached their new homes in a strong and vigorous condition. The principal species liberated included 21,300,000 Atlantic salmon, 11.600.000 speckled trout, and more than i,000,000 sockeye salmon. Other species distributed in smaller numbers were Sebago salmon, Kaniloops trout and rainbow trout. Most of the fish set free were in the fingerling stage, although some of them were yearlings and older, and the rainbow trout included adult fish up to four years old. These represented fish held in thp hatcheries as brood stock which had been replaced during the year with younger fish. In order to ofTset the reductions made by commercial fishing, angling, and natural losses, Canada has organised an extensive system of \fish culture. Each year wide-scale plantings are made from hatcheries operated by the Dominion Department of Fisheries for tho purpose of maintaining and improving fishing in areas where the fisheries are under fedei-al administration. Another important branch of this work is tho collection of fish eggs for use in future restocking operations. Egg collection reports from the various hatcheries maintained in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island reveal that a total of 19,138,700 Atlantic salmon eggs and 17,016,100 speckled trout eggs were handled during 1939. Apart from the propagation of fish resources for commercial purposes, extensivo stocking operations are also carried out for the benefit of sport fishermen.