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The River Annan District Salmon Fisheries Board SALMON & TROUT IN THE CLASSROOM PROJECT The River Annan District Salmon Fisheries Board (RADSFB) has been running an educational project that revolves around the salmon in the river. Using a model developed by the West Galloway Fisheries Trust in Newton Stewart, St Mungos primary school at Kettleholm was used to run a pilot project during the Easter and summer terms of the year 2000. The school was running a water project in the summer term so it seemed logical to link this topic into the support that the RADSFB could offer. The ProjectThe prime objective with this project from the RADSFB’s point of view is to inform the pupils about the lifecycles of the salmon and trout within the river, and their place in the food chain. It is hoped that through this programme a responsible attitude to our water resource will prevail in the future. Briefly, the project is split up into three main areas. Parts one and two will take place in the spring term and part three in the summer term. 1. A presentation by the environmental manager about the fish stocks in the river and a discussion about the types of things that they require e.g. clean water, free access etc. 2. The school is provided with around 100 trout/salmon eggs (species depending on availability) a hatchery and all the equipment needed to hatch the eggs. The pupils will then be responsible for the welfare of these eggs for a period of about 5 weeks. The actual amount of time will depend on water temperature. When these eggs have hatched, they will be released into the wild by the pupils.
The hatchery up and running. Part of the daily maintenance is removing dead eggs and the shells of hatched fish. 3. The pupils return about three months later to the site that the fish were released, with the environmental managers assistance recapture them, and check on their progress. At the same time other fish species and invertebrates that are there will be caught and identified by the pupils using keys provided.
In the summer, the pupils watch as fish are removed from the water and then try to identify them and the food that they are eating.
This project is being offered free of charge by RADSFB to any schools in Annandale. Any that wish to become involved can do so by contacting the Environmental Manager who will supply a detailed teachers pack. Annan DSFB or contact Nick Chisholm at Tel. (07710) 331079 E-Mail: nick@annanfisheryboard.co.uk |
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