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Fisheries
Awareness Day at Parteen Hatchery 2005
Thirty local children and their teacher Ciara
Russell from 3rd class at Patrickswell NS took part in
a Fisheries Awareness Day at the ESB salmon hatchery in Parteen on
the 15th February 2005. The day began with
Lorraine O Donnell and Breda Costello talking to the children
about salmon and their lifecycle and the reasons why fish are
declining and why hatcheries need to exist. Tom O
Brien described the work that is carried out in the hatchery from
when the eggs are stripped from adult fish taken from the fish
pass to when smolts are returned to the river for their seaward
migrations.
The lifecycle of a wild Atlantic salmon was
discussed and the differences with a hatchery reared Atlantic
salmon.
One of the highlights of the day for the children
was when they were allowed to hold some smolts. The smolts
which had their adipose fin clipped and coded wire tag inserted
would be due to be returned to the river in late March of this
year.
For the first time, children saw zebra mussels.
These were taken from water pipes on site and children learned of
the speed at which they have spread through the Shannon system.
The day proved extremely successful and the children
and their teachers enjoyed it and it is planned to take at least one
more school up to the hatchery before the eggs all hatch out.
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