My experience is completely different. I'm located on the west coast of
Canada near the city of Vancouver. Here at the North Vancouver Outdoor
School, which is a field study school used by very young students, we raise
hundreds of thousands of salmonids from 4 species and release them into the
wild on an annual basis. Some of these are considered endangered, Coho and
Chinook to be precise. Since 1982 when our work began we have successfully
raised millions of fry, released them and had them return.
Under the guidance of teachers this work has been done by children starting
at the age of 7 or 8 years old. Their spawning/rearing work and hence
survival rate is better than government facilities consistantly. Often we are
working with survival rates of over 90% for every 3000 eggs. Why? I belive it
is because the students take so much care and intense interest in their work
in exactly the same way as dedicated amateurs do. In the Vancouver area we
also have a significant plan run by groups of amateurs for habitat and
spawning habitat. All of this is governement sponsored and monitired with
very little $$. In fact with recent cutbacks in Federal Fisheries monies
looming Community Salmon Enhancement, which includes habitst work is one area
that at this point will not be affected.
I hope that this is not too much of tangent but I thought it might add
something to the discussion.
Vic '96
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