Highland pupils take part in fishy tales

The Highland Council Rangers in Assynt, North West Sutherland and Ullapool had their hands full when they took pupils from Lochinver, Achiltibuie and Stoer Primaries out to Inchnadamph to look for salmon. Fifty five pupils from three schools were involved in the project over a three week period early June.

‘Fishy Tales’ was a joint project with staff from the West Sutherland Fisheries Trust, Shona and Chris. Together they were able to explore the River Traligill in Inchnadamph and find all sorts of interesting things including Salmon and Brown Trout parr and young eels known as elvers. They also discovered plenty of mayflies and stone flies all a good sign of a clean and healthy river.

Earlier in the year the pupils from Primaries 4-7 from the three schools at met in Lochinver and listened to a story teller tell tales of an ancient salmon. They played the life size salmon game where they learned the life cycle of a salmon and some of the children even made it '...out to sea and back again to spawn...' despite all the obstacles and predators. They made salmon bracelets and met mad Professor Smolt.

Kim from Primary seven at Achiltibuie said she "…really liked the ecology bit and how a caramel wafer could kill you”. The highlight was watching a huge salmon being dissected. Iain from Primary six at Achiltibuie said it was really interesting looking at the salmon’s heart and its gills.
 
Alexander Kerr from Stoer Primary said: "My favourite part was the electro-fishing where I was first to catch a young salmon in my group”. Euan MacRae, also from Stoer, said: "The salmon project was brilliant and great fun I learnt a lot about salmon”.  Meanwhile Michael Ross from Stoer Primary said he enjoyed watching one of the Rangers dissecting a salmon.

Fishy Tales was a fish ecology project designed by teachers, The Highland Council Ranger Service and the West Sutherland Fisheries Trust. The project focused on the life cycle of 3 indigenous fish: the salmon, trout and eel. The pupils worked alongside fisheries biologists both in the field and the classroom as they research the different aspects of fish ecology. It is funded by the Royal Society Partnership Grants scheme.