If these young salmon, in turn, do their part by returning as adults to reseed our rivers, we will see a significant increase in the salmon population of our once great salmon rivers. Satellite rearing is a natural continuation of the conventional hatchery process, where fish are raised from egg to smolt stage in hatcheries and then released into the wild. This process usually takes about eighteen months. In the satellite-rearing process, salmon are raised to the fry stage in hatcheries and then placed in open outdoor tanks in the late spring, when they are between three and six months of age. They are maintained throughout the summer and released in the fall as under-yearlings to continue their life cycles in their natural environment.
Volunteers assume the responsibilities of feeding the fish and maintaining the tanks.
Fish are released a year sooner, further cutting down on labour and maintenance expenses. This is far less expensive than water systems used in hatcheries. Another advantage of the satellite-rearing process is that young salmon are exposed to their natural environment at an earlier stage, allowing sufficient time for the natural selection process, thus ensuring a higher survival rate for ensuing generations. The most important benefit of satellite rearing is that the process involves recreational fish resource users in conservation activities. A society that is cognizant of conservation issues will insist upon more effective management of our fisheries.