During the Winter and early Spring (2023/2024), we were able to open our Salmon Hatchery facility beside the mill at Monkokehampton on the River Okement, for the first time for four years. In order to gain EA permission to use the fish pass at Monkokehampton Weir, to collect our Broodstock, we had to provide a detailed risk assessment document, attend a training day and provide a hoist, harness and life jackets for those entering the tank at the fish pass. During November after several attempts we collected five hens and three cock fish. One hen had to be returned to the river. In early December, the four remaining hens were stripped and the 22,000 eggs were fertilised with the milt of the cock fish. Despite the unusually high temperature of the water (often 10C), and silt threatening to starve the eggs of oxygen, all went well with the alevin hatching by mid-February and a month later over 20,000 swim-up fry were stocked out into the headwaters of the Torridge Lew and Okement
To read more, see the Hatchery page.