The Sidney Anglers Association (SAA), a local not-for-profit organization, has reaffirmed its commitment to salmon conservation with a $5,000 donation to the Goldstream Fish Hatchery.
The funds will be used to support the hatchery's ongoing salmonid enhancement efforts, vital for maintaining healthy salmon populations in the region.
SAA president Brian Dunic presented the check to Ian Izard, president of the hatchery, at the Tulista Boat Launch on Monday (March 17).
"This will be a great addition to our funds," said Izard. "We're a non-profit and it costs a lot of money to run a hatchery, so this will come in handy."
The latest contribution builds upon an earlier $850 donation from SAA, which was used to purchase PIT tags for the hatchery's coho salmon.
"PIT tags are extremely important for collecting vital information," Izard explained. "When the fish return to spawn, we can electronically retrieve the data and that's a wonderful development."
SAA is deeply involved in a variety of salmon enhancement initiatives, including operating live net pens, restoring streams and volunteering at hatchery operations.
Their dedication to preserving salmon stocks is a long-standing tradition.
"We've been supporting the Goldstream hatchery for over 30 years," stated Dunic. "They also supply us with smolt for our net pen projects."
Bill Thomas, director of the Goldstream Fish Hatchery, expressed his gratitude for SAA's ongoing support. He noted that the hatchery's community involvement serves as a model for other facilities around the world.
"People from Japan came over and looked at us and said they wish they could get the public involved in their hatcheries like we do," Thomas said. "Down in the States, their public hatcheries are looking at ours as a model."
Goldstream Fish Hatchery reports a successful start to the year, with a promising number of eggs in incubation and distribution.
"We currently have 300,000 chum and coho eggs in incubation or already distributed," Izard added, highlighting the positive outlook for the upcoming season.
