Grade four students helped stock Rotary Park pond with over 800 Rainbow Trout for the summer

 

On Wednesday, May 16, grade four students from Central School and École St. Joseph School took part in an annual fish release at Rotary Park. Each year, students help officers from the Whitecourt Fish & Game Association stock the pond with hundreds of rainbow trout in preparation for a summer season full of family fishing.

Officer Greg Gilbertson was one of several members of the association on hand as the big group of children slowly brought buckets of fish to the pond for release. Each group was given a quick minute to attempt to pick up a slippery trout before releasing them off into the wild, wet yonder. “I want to kiss a fish,” yelled one excited student. “Me too,” hollered another. Several students did indeed land a smooch on a fish before letting it go.

“The kids certainly find the release enjoyable, as do we,” smiled Gilbertson. Not only are the fish added so that families can enjoy fishing together, but they also help serve a purpose with feathered friends. “They also support a couple types of birds including the loons and the osprey that are nesting on the other side of the pond, as a food source for them. Everyone wins.”

This year, 825 fish were released into the pond which is half the normal number. Due to a temporary closure at one of two main hatcheries in the province, the number of fish available for Whitecourt was much lower than normal. Cori Oracheski drove to Whitecourt from the Cold Lake Fish Hatchery with a big container full of fish ready for their new home.

“We raise about 1.2 million fish per year at our hatchery and we stock them into what we call pothole lakes (like Rotary) which are lakes that fish wouldn’t normally exist in without us putting them there. It creates fishing opportunities for anglers in Alberta where they might not have those opportunities otherwise,” she explained.

Upon reaching the water, several of the trout leaped up out of the water and landed with a big splash. It drew a large crowd of children as they watched the spectacle unfold. “The theory we have is that they get pretty supercharged from the oxygen,” said Oracheski. Once most of the fish were released through the bucket system, she backed her truck down closer to the water and hooked up a clear plastic tube to the base of the fish container. As everyone counted down together, she lifted the gate on the tank and allowed the remaining fish to swim down the makeshift slide and into the pond.

The yearly event has been taking place for 15 years now and Gilbertson said the children do a really good job of being careful handling the fish. “If we walked down along the water’s edge in a bit, you probably wouldn’t see any dead ones except for what the ospreys and loons get. The children do a great job.” Saturday, May 26 is the annual Kids’ Fishing Day which gives children a chance to try their hand at fishing. Fish and Wildlife officers will be set up at the pond with rods for those who do not have equipment and will also clean up fish that are caught. For any other time during the summer, Gilbertson said there are a couple bylaws to remember.

“Fishing is permitted here from May 16 to October 14 and one of the interesting bylaws that is in place here is that it’s set up as a family fishing experience, not just for kids and not just for adults. Any angler who is over 16 years of age must be accompanied by a person who is under 16 and anyone who is over 16, of course, requires a valid sport fishing license,” said Gilbertson.