So you want to raise salmon in your classroom. Welcome to the Fish&Game Fish In Schools programme. Why raise salmon in the first place? Salmon are an introduced sports fish and are highly valued. They have thrived in the South Island of New Zealand since their introduction over 100 years ago and provide some of the best sportfishing in the world. Salmon are beautiful fish with an amazing life cycle but more than this they are like the canary in the coal mine in that they require clean healthy waterways to survive and their presence is a great indicator of the health of our waterways. Unfortunately the health of many of our streams, rivers and lakes in New Zealand is under threat from human activity.
By raising salmon in a classroom tank from ova to fingerlings ready for release into a nearby waterway children and their families can become aware of the issues facing us in keeping our waterways healthy and life sustaining. By caring for these fish in a controlled environment children learn about the real needs and amazing life cycle of these wonderful fish. How do I raise the salmon? Please refer to the tank operation manual that accompanies this guide for detailed instructions. Raising salmon in the classroom tank requires care and commitment and is an ideal way for children with an interest to take on real responsibility and engage in practical science along the way. The key to success is monitoring the tank closely and maintaining water quality, temperature and oxygen levels. Water quality is controlled by the bio-filter. Maintaining water quality is achieved through regular monitoring and analysis using the testing kit and changing tank water as required. Temperature is controlled by the chiller. Cooler water temperature controls oxygen levels which can be boosted by using a bubbler. Uneaten food decays and depletes oxygen. Cleanliness in the tank is maintained by regularly removing uneaten food using a siphon. Initially as ova the salmon need little maintenance. They rest in the tank which is covered by a black bag to keep the light off. Once hatched the alevins also need minimal care with the removal of any dead eggs all that is required. The
alevins remain under the black cover until they become swim up fry at which time the cover is removed and feeding can commence gradually at first and then on demand. From this time regular cleaning (at least daily) is necessary to remove excess food and maintain the water quality. Some mortality is expected as the fish continue to grow over the following weeks and months. Some fish may need to be released to ensure there is enough room for the remaining fish to grow. The tank system for raising your salmon. Left to right The chiller, bio filter and tank Opportunities for learning in the classroom. Just having the tank with live growing fish in the classroom is beneficial at any age level. It creates interest and a focal point for pupils of all abilities and provides opportunity for positive shared social interaction. There are obvious science learning opportunities from regularly monitoring and maintaining the tank. Many teachers establish salmon scientist clubs of enthusiastic pupils to be rostered to carry this out. In schools where the tank is located in a junior classroom selected pupils from a senior class take on this role and mentor the juniors (similar to the buddy system). Providing a real example of sustainability and raising awareness of the importance of water quality is a major attribute of the Fish In Schools programme and its strong link with the NZ Curriculum in schools in particular the nature of Science, Sustainability and the Inquiry approach. By having real responsibility for the care of living creatures dependant upon clean water the pupils learn in a real sense how to care for water. By the time the salmon are released into their natural habitat the pupils are acutely aware of what they
will need in their new waterway to survive. As parents are usually involved in transporting to the site they experience this realisation as well if they haven t been already incidentally through the classroom programme. In primary schools as parents are frequent visitors to their child s classroom, often on a daily basis, they get to share the development of the fish. We at Fish In Schools believe teachers can decide how intensely they want to incorporate the Fish In Schools into their planned programme and this non prescriptive approach by us means any classroom with a keen teacher can provide learning experiences the programme provides in a form that suits them and their schools organization for the year. There is often a spin off for the entire school when a class takes part in Fish In Schools as others in the school community become aware of what is going on and develop an interest as well. At years end the participating class can be offered a fishing experience either at a local waterway or if available a stocked fish out pond. This is a learning opportunity that can be shared by families and classmates within the class community and can lead to a lifelong interest in fishing as recreation. Skills such as knot tying, casting and streamcraft can be learned in class prior to the trip. Room 11 Templeton School at the Groynes in Christchurch for a mornings fishing In North Canterbury Fish In Schools is proving so popular that demand to be involved is outstripping available resources.
What You will need Fish&Game will supply you with: 60 litre tank 1/15hp chiller canister bio filter ova Fish food (especially for salmon) Air bubbler Manual Siphon for cleaning Water testing kit Instruction manual School to supply Keen staff member Willing engaged pupils Room for tank Power point