Thousands of chum fry were released into the wild Sunday afternoon at the Bell Irving Hatchery.
Ross Davies with the Kanaka Education and Environmental Partnership Society estimates that more than 550 people took part in this years Goodbye Chums festival that included the release, activities for the children, puppet shows, story time, crafts, face painting and educational displays by the many local stewardship groups from across the Lower Mainland.
About 15,000 fry were being released during the festival, said Darin McClain with the hatchery and the Kanaka Creek Watershed Stewardship Centre, and that they will be joining another 10,000 in the creek.
He said that 250,000 others have already left their own watersheds for enhancement in about a dozen streams from Maple Ridge to Spanish Banks Creek in Vancouver.
McClain added that the coho in the pond in front of the new stewardship centre would be ready for migration in another couple of weeks.
mailto:cflanagan@mapleridgenews.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
