Fish fry given new homes

Four schools within the Ring of Gullion area participated in our ‘Fish in the Classroom’ programme, supported by Lisa Kirkwood from Ballinderry River Trust.  Due to unavoidable delays starting the programme the schools received alevin fish instead of fertilised eggs.  Alevin fish live off their yolk sac so don’t need feeding; this makes them ideal for a classroom setting.

Pupils looked after their alevin fish by keeping their water clean and at a consistent temperature until they had absorbed their yolk sac and become fry.  Once the fry were ready for release the pupils took them to a local river.  After releasing their fish pupils had the opportunity to examine the other creatures living in the river as well as learning about the overall health of their river.

Having fish in their classroom enabled pupils to study life cycles up close as well as increasing their environmental awareness.  By participating in the programme it is hoped that they have also developed a respect for and ownership of their local waterways.  The programme will be running again in November with fertilised fish eggs.  If your school would like to participate, please contact Alison on 028 3082 8594 or volunteer@ringofgullion.org.  All the equipment needed to keep the fish is provided and you are supported throughout the programme.