Swimming upstream

The McKinnon Creek Salmon hatchery has played a vital role in restocking South Canterbury’s rivers. Now supported by PlaceMakers Timaru, local anglers can rest assured they’ll be putting fresh salmon on the table for years to come  

The once-abandoned commercial hatchery was revitalised in 2006 by a group of volunteers, following a meeting of the SC Salmon Anglers Association that highlighted declining fish numbers in the Rangitata river.

Spokesperson Phil de Joux says it took two years of hard work to get the hatchery up and running, but the results now speak for themselves.

“Around 100,000 volunteer man hours have gone into the project up to this point. We estimate that about 60% of all salmon caught in the Rangitata now originated from the hatchery,” said Phil. “We also supply the Opihi, Orari and Ashburton rivers.”

Born and raised in Geraldine, Brendan Leary moved back to the region in July to become PlaceMakers Timaru owner-operator. Brendan says he heard about the project from one of his trade customers, who is also Phil’s brother.

“I went to an open day at the hatchery and discovered it’s run by volunteers entirely on donations, so I asked how we could help,” says Brendan. “So far we’ve donated around $1,200 of timber to help maintain holding pens, and I’m looking forward to building on our relationship.”

Brendan and one of his account managers also put in some time at the hatchery, helping to release 35,000 fry into the Rangitata. More than 3,000,000 eggs and fry have been released across the region over the past eight years

“It’s completely self-sustaining and I think it’s a great asset to the community,” says Brendan. “Angling is hugely popular around here, and I’m looking forward to getting out on the river at the start of salmon season. I don’t think that would be possible without the hatchery, so we’re proud to be able to make a contribution.”

Main image: PlaceMakers Timaru owner-operator Brendan Leary joins a group of volunteers helping to restock local rivers with salmon