On Friday, April 18, Bob and Wayne Izumi along with members of the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, the Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority, Fleming College, the Northumberland County Stewardship Council, Fishing Forever and the Town of Cobourg, joined close to 100 students from Cobourg Collegiate Institutes East and West, Fleming College and Holy Cross Secondary School (Peterborough) to clean up Cobourg Brook before releasing 1,000 Atlantic salmon yearlings into the stream as part of Ontario’s Bring Back the Salmon program.
All of the volunteers who helped clean Cobourg Creek and stock Atlantic salmon.
The students were split into four groups that tackled four separate sections of the stream within the town. Along with the usual assortment of take out food containers, worn out tires and beverage cans and bottles, the students also hauled three bicycles and a fishing rod and reel from the water. After picking up several hundreds of pounds of litter from 9 a.m. until nearly noon, the kids were treated to a wonderful lunch of barbequed hot dogs and hamburgers which was graciously provided by members of the Cobourg Trap and Skeet Club.
Students picking up trash along Cobourg Creek.
All of the garbage that was cleaned up from Cobourg Creek.
After lunch the group headed north of the town to stock young Atlantic salmon into a pre-selected area. The fish arrived in a specially equipped trailer and were transferred into buckets that the students hurried down to the stream. Once at the water’s edge, the young salmon were gently introduced into their new home where they will spend between one and two-years before heading out into Lake Ontario. If all goes well the fish should return to the brook in a few years where they will spawn, eventually establishing a self sustaining population of Atlantic salmon in their traditional, historic waters.
Students releasing Atlantic salmon into Cobourg Creek.
