84,000 young fish from the Põlula Fish Farm were released into rivers on 19 May 19.05

With a view to restoring resources, 81,000 one- and-two-year-old salmon juveniles were released in rivers, with 26,000 in the River Pärnu; 11,000 in the River Selja; 10,000 in the River Valgejõgi; 5000 in the River Pirita; 5000 in the River Jägala; 11,000 in the River Loobu; and 13,000 in the River Purtse. Two-year-old and one-year-old salmon juveniles weighed on average 84.3 and 18.0 g, respectively. In addition, the River Pudisoo was stocked with 3000 two-year-old sea trout with an average weight of 114.8 g.

“All of the two-year-old and most of the one-year-old juveniles were smoltified, that is, their physiology was adapted to life in the sea water. You can recognise this from the silver colouring of the sides of the fish,” explained Kunnar Klaas, Head of the RMK Fish Rearing Department. He added that within roughly a week after stocking, all salmon juveniles that have turned silver will descend into the sea to embark on feeding migration for 1-4 years, after which they return to their home river to spawn. Fish that do not smoltify will remain in the river for another year and descend into the sea next spring.

The Põlula Fish Farm stocks rivers with juvenile specimens twice a year – in spring and autumn, when the water temperatures of rivers and the fish rearing centre are similar and river populations need support from the fish farm to reproduce.

The Environmental Board issued populating permits to stock juvenile specimens, based on the recommendations of the Estonian Marine Institute of the University of Tartu and the research notice of the Veterinary and Food Laboratory, which gave assurances about the good health status of the fish.

Since 1997, more than 5.2 million salmon, sea trout and brown trout juveniles have been stocked in rivers by the Põlula Fish Rearing Centre. In early 2014, the centre was incorporated into RMK.