November 5, 2005

SALMON RETURN EARLY TO THE BC HYDRO SALMON STREAM PROJECT IN STANLEY PARK

Vancouver, BC: The Vancouver Aquarium is pleased to announce that 30 coho salmon have returned to the BC Hydro Salmon Stream Project in Stanley Park.

A couple of months ago salmon began arriving earlier than usual in the Alcan Salmon Pool. Aquarium staff have moved the salmon from the pool into the hatchery. Once in the hatchery, aquarists determine whether or not the fish are mature enough to spawn, creating the next generation of releasable fry.

“It’s great to have a salmon run back in the city!” said Dr. John Nightingale, Aquarium President. “This program is an excellent example of the Aquarium cooperating with other partners to not only share conservation and education information with millions of people every year, but to also provide hands-on assistance to preserve nature.”

The BC Hydro Salmon Stream Project in Stanley Park, a man-made stream, opened in 2000 to highlight the story of BC salmon. A joint venture between the Vancouver Aquarium and the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation, the $2-million-plus demonstration stream winds its way from the Aquarium through the park to Coal Harbour, educating the four million annual park visitors about the importance of salmon and their habitat.

The Aquarium began releasing the first of 10,000 salmon fry into Coal Harbour in June 1998, before the stream even opened. The stream is marked with morpholine, an organic compound or “scent” that helps the salmon to find their way home.

Canada’s largest outdoor classroom, the BC Hydro Salmon Stream Project in Stanley Park is made possible in part by the following generous sponsors: Vancouver Park Board, BC Hydro, Alcan, CN, EJLB Foundation, Weldwood, and Cominco.

"It is a pleasure for Alcan to participate in this successful program,” said Richard Prokopanko, Director of Corporate Affairs – BC. “The education value for the children that visit the site and the benefit of the research will enhance our ability to protect and conserve these stocks.”

“Our purpose – reliable power, at low cost, for generations – includes a responsibility to future generations to treat the environment with care and to leave it in better condition than when we inherited it,” said BC Hydro Vice President of Sustainability, Bruce Sampson. “The BC Hydro Salmon Stream Project embodies that commitment and demonstrates ways we can creatively leave a legacy for future generations.”

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