The TDSFB hatchery is unrivalled
and perhaps unique in the UK in that it is set
up to look after the most threatened and thus
valuable of all atlantic salmon.... Springers.
To begin with brood stock are captured from the
very headwaters where springers are known to originate.
Each fish is then carefully transported to holding
facilities where they are isolated by location,
genetically identified, treated for disease and
then kept until they are ready to spawn.
When ready hen fish are stripped, fertilised
by cock fish of similar progeny and their eggs
looked after in the hatchery.
Here the eggs are held at low temperatures (using
advanced cooling techniques) so that their development
mimics that found in the wild.
In this way their development is managed so that
they are returned to the river at the optimum
time to ensure best survival.
This year salmon eggs have been looked after
from the Rivers Fillan, Lyon, Tilt, Dochart, Errochty,
Turret, Shee, Almond and Connonish.
This year has been a great year for the hatchery.
The low temperature regime and careful picking
has resulted in exceptionally high production
and a great numbers going back to bolster local
stocks.
This has been especially important in a year
when winter floods have caused great damage to
redds in the headwaters.
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