Many fish for sport, others for food. But every fall, a collective effort involving Trout Unlimited Canada workers, government employees, and volunteers works to rescue stranded fish.
“As water is diverted throughout the summer for irrigation, some fish are accidentally, inadvertently diverted along with the water,” said provincial biologist with Trout Unlimited Canada, Lesley Peterson.
Once fish go through existing canal structures, there is often no way for them to get out. It’s up to the group to round up the stranded fish through electro-fishing, a process that temporarily stuns, but does not harm the fish. They are netted and processed for ongoing research, and then released as quickly as possible into the river.
“Every year we rescue between 20,000 to 60,000 fish in about ten or so days of field work,” said Peterson.
The rescue is also a great opportunity for nearby students to learn about the different species of fish.
“It’s a great education opportunity for the youth to come out, hold a fish in their hand, realize that fish are an important part of the ecosystem.”
Despite the group rescuing over 800,000 fish since 1998, Trout Unlimited Canada believes there is still much to be done.
“We need to continue this monitoring program and the salvage so that every year we can report back how many fish are being rescued,” said Peterson. “We know that it’s potentially just a drop in the bucket of what’s actually being lost in the system.”
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