ATLANTIC salmon in the river Esk got a boost when North Yorkshire school children released 70 young fry they had raised into the water.
Goathland Primary School children raised the salmon from eggs in a hatchery tank as part of an annual Salmon in the Classroom project, organised by the North York Moors National Park Authority (NYMNPA) with the Yorkshire Esk Rivers Trust.
The tank was installed in the classroom in March and NYMNPA staff talked to the children about the animals that live in the river, including the freshwater pearl mussel which depends on salmon and trout as a host for its larvae.
The river Esk is the only river in Yorkshire with a freshwater pearl mussel population but numbers are in drastic decline. With the help of landowners, the NYMNPA is carrying out restoration work on the river to benefit freshwater pearl mussels and other species. It is also involved in a captive breeding programme in the hope that juvenile pearl mussels can be re-introduced to the Esk.
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