You don't have to like fish to enjoy the Chapman Creek Fish Hatchery, but there sure are a lot of them to look at if you do.
The Sunshine Coast Salmon Enhancement Society operates the hatchery with one full-time manager, one part-time employee and a host of volunteers whose efforts protect salmon species and provide the public with a beautiful place to visit.
"We provide five months of recreational fishing, provide for the hatchery and fulfill the ecosystem with fish. We have a very successful program," said hatchery manager Bob Anstead.
Volunteers spent last Saturday morning clipping adipose fins on coho salmon fry followed by an appreciation barbecue. Those fish will eventually be released into the wild to make their way through the cycle to the ocean and back to Chapman Creek. Recreational fishers in B.C. must follow the rule that states they can keep any coho salmon whose adipose fin has been clipped because they know it was hatchery raised. Any salmon with that fin still intact must be released back into the stream.
With 39 years experience in the industry behind him, Anstead said he keeps to the basics at Chapman Creek.
"There's a lot of technology [that could be used], but more technology means more money," Anstead said about the non-profit hatchery.
Anstead said it costs about $120,000 a year to run the hatchery, of which government funding covers only about $12,500 for insurance and hydro. He said many grants do not allow for wages or fish feed, of which the latter accounts for another $12,000 a year. He said grants usually have to be tied into a capital project. Often, interesting as they are, those projects end up costing money to maintain, adding to the burden to fundraise.
There are approximately 320 members in the society who bring in $15,000. The remaining money is acquired through fundraisers throughout the year.
The hatchery has an education centre where 1,000 children a year learn from education co-ordinator Diane Sanford about the ecology and geography that create a healthy environment for salmon to spawn and migrate. Children can also fish for trout during a visit to the hatchery.
The annual Rivers Day Event is on Oct. 18 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is a community open house. Anstead expects 500 to 600 visitors between school groups on the Friday and the public on Saturday. There will be artisan booths and business demonstrations.
The hatchery is located on Parkway Drive off Field Road in Wilson Creek. It's open Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and everyone is welcome to stop by for a tour.
