The Sydenham Sportsmen’s Association spent time on Friday releasing 65,000 Chinook salmon from the hatchery into the Sydenham River.
Co-chair for the Salmon Spectacular and Chair for the Sydenham Sportsmen’s Association Chris Geberdt says that the fish will come back in four years when it’s time to spawn, adding that they needed to be released from the hatchery before July 15th.
Geberdt says that for the release, they had more than 30 junior members present.
He says it was nice to get the younger generations involved, saying “You can see a lot of the people who were down there were grandparents, like myself and my wife, and we had our four grandkids down there. I said to my wife, ‘Does it ever remind me of when my dad used to bring me and my sisters and brothers down’.”
He also says it was important for children to be involved because it helps to educate the kids about conservation and to appreciate nature.
“It’s important. If we don’t have the environment, we’ve got nothing, and this is all part and parcel to trying to keep things good in nature.”
Geberdt says that the SSA is gearing up for a busy summer, including tickets for this year’s Salmon Spectacular, which will be taking place from August 25th to September 3rd.
This year is the 35th annual Salmon Spectacular, and it was announced earlier this year that the event would be expanding because of the demand by anglers in Lion’s Head.