Rebuilding process underway for Port Moody hatchery
Posted December 12, 2013 9:11 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
PORT MOODY(NEWS1130) – The City of Port Moody is expected to contribute $10,000 dollars next week to help start the rebuilding process at the Mossom Creek Hatchery which was destroyed by fire on Wednesday night.
Volunteer George Assaf says the response they’ve been getting has been nothing short of amazing.
“We’ve had former students and members that were involved with the hatchery, people who have never had anything to do with the hatchery calling us and saying what can we do to help. Offers of money, time and expertise.”
He says Langara Fishing Lodge has even offered a couple of trips to auction to help raise money, and the Pacific Salmon Foundation has indicated it also has funds available to assist with the rebuild.
He did not have a cost estimate on a new hatchery.
As far as what caused the fire, Assaf believes the fire investigator won’t be able to make a determination.
“He said the damage was too great. He was able to somewhat point to a general area where the origin was but even then, he couldn’t guarantee it.”
Structures, tanks and other equipment weren’t the only things lost to the fire.
Assaf says they lost all their eggs for this year’s egg take.
“We had 110,000 Chum, 56,000 Pink eggs and about 4,500 Coho eggs. They are all gone,” he says.
The Coho fry from last year managed to survive and staff spent part of the day today redoing the plumbing so that they could get the water supply working through the area.
The Mossom Creek Hatchery has been around since 1976.
