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The Salmon Enhancement Trust have recommissioned the abandoned hatchery at McKinnon's Creek, and will be raising salmon fry for release into South Canterbury rivers for as long as the group considers worthwhile.
In 2006, due to the continuing decline in Salmon numbers in South Canterbury rivers, a grou of volunteers embarked on an extremely ambitious project in an attempt to halt this decline and to boost the numbers of adult salmon retuning to these rivers to spawn.
Excavations were held to clean out overgrown streams, rebuilding structures in the hatchery races, building a predator proof covering over the raceways, buildings were erected to house fish food and equipment and a purpose built shed for the hatching of calmon eggs and raising juvenile fish.
The main return of adult salmon to MeKinnon's Creek occured in March and April, proving that the project had been an outstanding success. Around 50 percent of all the fish caught in the Rangitata River over the 2008/09 season were fish originating from the hatchery.
In 2006, due to the continuing decline in Salmon numbers in South Canterbury rivers, a grou of volunteers embarked on an extremely ambitious project in an attempt to halt this decline and to boost the numbers of adult salmon retuning to these rivers to spawn.
Excavations were held to clean out overgrown streams, rebuilding structures in the hatchery races, building a predator proof covering over the raceways, buildings were erected to house fish food and equipment and a purpose built shed for the hatching of calmon eggs and raising juvenile fish.
The main return of adult salmon to MeKinnon's Creek occured in March and April, proving that the project had been an outstanding success. Around 50 percent of all the fish caught in the Rangitata River over the 2008/09 season were fish originating from the hatchery.