Osbaston pupils send salmon on their way
Pupils at Osbaston Church in Wales Primary School are gearing up to release their own home grown salmon into the neighbouring River Monnow tomorrow (Thursday 17th June).
The school has been taking part in the award winning'Salmon Homecoming'project since January 2010.The pupils have been helping to grow salmon eggs that have since developed into young fish and are ready to be released into the wild.
With help from Environment Agency Wales, the pupils set up a mini hatchery at their school to grow the salmon eggs before they were taken to the Agency’s Cynrig Hatchery, near Brecon, to allow them to develop into small salmon known as fry.
Following an educational tour of Cynrig hatchery, the fish nutured by the children will be transported and released into theRiver Monnow at the Osbaston fish pass.
With the support of local landowner, Ronald Kear, Environment Agency Wales completed construction of the fish pass in the Autumn of 2009. It opened up approximately 200km of river to allow fish to migrate upstream and spawn in the Monnow again for the first time in 300 years.
Project Manager, Roger Watkins, said: “The Salmon Homecoming project aims to increase awareness amongst youngsters of the need to protect and improve our environment. By working with Osbaston Primary School, we have helped the pupils to take ownership of their local environment, for the benefit of future generations.”
Environment Agency Wales’ Salmon Homecoming project began in 2003 as a way of linking primary school children in south east Wales with local rivers and angling clubs in their areas.
The project is part of a wider Fishing Wales project set to increase fishing in Wales and bring people and rivers together.
The Agency is working to bring all rivers in Wales up to a ‘good’ standard by 2027 as required by the Water Framework Directive, a major environmental initiative to make Wales’ natural waters even better.
The Osbaston fish pass was funded through the FIFG (Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance) allocated by the Welsh European Funding Office.