HELP STOCK SALMON FRY

Volunteers from schools, sporting clubs, civic groups and individuals with a passion for rivers, fish or fishing are needed to assist MassWildlife in stocking 1.9 million salmon fry (juvenile fish) for the Atlantic salmon restoration program. According to Dr. Caleb Slater, MassWildlife’s Anadromous Fish Project Leader, at least 20 stocking dates are planned from early April through May to release salmon fry into dozens of Connecticut River tributaries. The fry will come from MassWildlife's Roger Reed Hatchery in Palmer and the White River National Fish Hatchery in Bethel, Vermont. Fry will be trucked to meeting sites where volunteers will gather and caravan to release sites. The tiny fish will then be moved from truck to water by bucket using volunteer man and woman power. Dr. Slater offers some tips for potential volunteers, “You will get wet! A change of clothes is a good idea. You will be walking on slippery stream and river beds, so waders or other waterproof footgear is useful.” Slater does have a few waders to loan. Volunteers will also be climbing up and down steep stream banks and should be in very good physical condition.

MassWildlife aids anadromous fish in a number of ways: stocking fry in tributaries of the Connecticut River, monitoring fish passage at dams on the Connecticut, Westfield and Merrimack Rivers; trapping salmon and shad for transport to hatcheries and/or upstream release locations, working with other federal agencies to ensure safe upstream and downstream fish passage at hydroelectric dams, and working with local watershed groups to improve freshwater habitat for fish. For more information on meeting locations and times for fry stocking check out www.MassWildlife.org or contact Dr. Caleb Slater at 508/792-7270x133.