Successful Applicant:
Abegweit Conservation Society
Award:
$26,610
Project Title:
Abegweit Biodiversity Enhancement Hatchery PEI Wild Fish Stocking Program
Project Summary:
The Abegweit Conservation Society (ACS) is located on the Scotchfort Reserve in PEI and oversees the Abegweit Biodiversity Enhancement Hatchery. The hatchery provides native wild Atlantic Salmon and Brook Trout for Provincially selected stocking of PEI rivers and ponds, and to ensure that there is a supply of fish in the event of a fish kill.
This project has a direct benefit to wildlife populations in rivers that have experienced fish kills due to pesticide runoff. These rivers can be restocked or repopulated immediately instead of taking years to re-establish.
Fish not required for fish kill remediation are used to supplement existing Atlantic Salmon and Brook Trout populations in the four following, popular Island angling river systems:
Brudenell
Morell
Trout River Coleman
Dunk/Wilmot
This is a direct benefit to the wildlife of the noted river systems and those directly encompassed within the respective environments and manner of related biodiversity.
Further, approximately 4,000 derby-sized fish are released each fall in a number of ponds across the province for recreational fishing opportunities, which directly benefits the stocks of these ponds.
Indirectly, all of the above noted benefits extend to the range of interconnected environments within the bounds of provincial biodiversity, in terms of wildlife food-chains and the inherent relationships that exist therein.