120,000 smolt released

A total of 120,000 salmon smolt will have been released into the lower Clutha River by today, as part of a clause in Contact Energy's consents to operate hydro dams on the river.

The fish were raised in North Canterbury Fish and Game's Waimakariri hatchery and transported to the Clutha in three trips in a specially designed tanker.

Fish and Game officer Clare Morris said they were expected to stay in the area for some time before making their way to sea.

Fish and Game environmental officer Peter Wilson said some of those fish would "then return to the river as adults and if not caught by salmon anglers would spawn, which would contribute to securing the long-term sustainability of the fishery".

Earlier this year, there were reports of some fish from a release in 2010 returning and being caught by anglers near the Roxburgh Dam, something young anglers Blaine and Rowan McGann hope to do with these fish.

This is the third year the partnership between Contact and Fish and Game has released fish into the river.

The aim is to boost the salmon population to a run of 5000 returning adult fish per year, though only 1% of the released fish are expected to survive.

Mr Wilson said before the Roxburgh Dam was built in the 1950s, the salmon run was estimated to be about 50,000 returning fish per year but that reduced to 300-400 as the fish were cut off from their spawning grounds, such as the Matukituki and Hunter rivers.