July

In mid July, the coho fry are “clipped”. Clipping refers to the process of removing the adipose fin, by hand, from all 80,000 coho (4-5g) fry. The primary purpose of clipping the fry is to allow Bell-Irving volunteers and staff to recognize a hatchery produced adult when they return to spawn. Once clipped, the fry are returned to the Capilano Troughs for a couple of weeks. The rearing ponds are refilled, and around the end of July, 30,000 fry are transferred to the rearing ponds. The remaining clipped coho are released into various tributaries of the upper Kanaka Creek watershed.

When we capture a hatchery produced fish (at the fence or by one of our broodstock anglers), they are released to spawn naturally. Oh, and as a side benefit, fishers are generally allowed to keep on hatchery produced fish per day during the month of November (check the current regulations!). DFO estimates that between 5-10% of the coho smolts we release return to spawn.