MANITOULIN—Thanks to the efforts of the Gore Bay Fish and Game Club (GBFGC) and two elementary schools on Manitoulin Island, approximately 231 healthy Chinook salmon fingerlings have been stocked in the town of Gore Bay and M’Chigeeng First Nation.
Richard Panton, custodian of Charles C. McLean Public School in Gore Bay, who helps to take care of the fish in the school, told The Expositor, “We have had the micro-hatchery program at the school for many years now, thanks to the (Gore Bay) Fish and Game Club, which collects the fish eggs every fall. They brought the fish eggs in the first part of October (to the school) and the eggs hatched around November. The Grade 2/3 students helped raise the fish to the size they are now, about three inches each. They are very healthy-looking fish.”
Mr. Panton changes the water in the micro-hatchery on a regular basis and helps the students monitor and feed the fish.
“The fish look really good and healthy, they will do well,” said Mr. Panton, noting that of the 139 fish eggs that hatched, 128 fish survived and were raised in the micro-hatchery until they were released. The fingerlings were stocked in Bickell’s Creek in Gore Bay on Wednesday of last week with GBFGC members and the Grade 2-5 students on hand.
Elizabeth VanEvery, Grade 2/3 teacher at C.C. McLean explained, “Our class studied animals as part of our class and one of their first projects was Chinook salmon where they (students) had to do research on their life cycle, what they eat and more. Our next study unit is on lands and water, looking at the importance of them and what we can do to protect them.”
The Grade 2/3 students also took part in singing an Anishinabek song to show respect to the Salmon and its habitat, at the fish stocking event.
Ian Anderson, a member of the GBFGC told The Expositor the fish raised by students at Lakeview School in M’Chigeeng, “had phenomenal success.” The GBFGC had provided Chinook salmon eggs in the fall, with 103 big, healthy fingerlings being stocked in M’Chigeeng waters.
The GBFGC had provided a total of 200 Chinook salmon eggs to both classes in Scotty boxes for raising in the micro-hatcheries in both schools.
