Salmon go to school for project

Eventually, pupils will see the salmon released into a river

Pupils from three primary schools in north Wales will be rearing their own salmon from next week, as part of a conservation project.

The Salmon Homecoming Project will see pupils look after eggs and then young salmon after they hatch.

The next month they will start watching the salmon grow at a local hatchery until they are released into a river.

The Environment Agency Wales said it was intended to teach children about how clean rivers were vital for fish.

The three schools involved are Ysgol Esgob Morgan in St Asaph, Ysgol Deganwy and Betws y Coed primary school.

Each has been supplied with their own fish tank and salmon eggs and children will learn about the life of a salmon, their local river and surrounding wildlife.

The Conwy Valley Fisheries and Conservation Association (CVFCA) have provided funding for the children's project.

Richard Pierce, of the Environment Agency, said: "They will learn that clean rivers are vital to the salmon, and how climate change is effecting their environment.

"It is also a fun and interesting way to get them interested in fishing and the countryside around them."

Keith Hemingsly, from CVFCA, said of the project: "We hope that it will continue for several more years".