Last launch

Cold weather delays the release of this season’s fingerlings

On Tuesday, Al Van Dusen released his last batch of salmon fingerlings at the Wellington marina. Monday evening, Van Dusen weighed the fingerlings and recorded everything for posterity. It’s quite a process, and one that requires a few helpers. At the weighing on Monday, Van Dusen had five or six volunteers helping with the process. Fingerlings are taken out of their container and two sets of 50 fingerlings are counted, then recounted before getting weighed. Then the weights are recorded, and the tiny salmon are put back into the container. The following day they are sent off into the world. It is a very minute window as to when the salmon are to be released, and it all depends on temperature.

Al Van Dusen weighing the fingerlings.

It has to reach a certain degree for a few days in a row for the salmon to be released. This year, the colder temperatures and recent ice storm delayed the release until the first week of May, which is later than usual. This season Van Dusen released over 30,000 fingerlings into the lake, and after 16 years, this season is his last. He is hoping that someone will step up to the plate and take over next season. So, far no one has shown a serious interest in taking over the job. It’s one that requires a significant time commitment.

“I’m trying to get someone to take over, but it ties you down for a full month, and you unfortunately miss out on the opening season’s tournaments if you’re a fisherman. You have to constantly watch the temperatures of the lake and the weights of the fish,” says Van Dusen.

Van Dusen was the first to start something like this in the region and has also helped other hatcheries around the province get started. Hopefully someone with a passion for conservation and aquaculture will step forward and take over. Van Dusen has done his part for this community and the anglers of the region with over 16 years of service. If Van Dusen was averaging 30,000 fingerlings a year during his service, that amounts to nearly half a million fingerlings he has personally had a hand in releasing. Fishing hats are off to him for his dedication.