Salmon Steward is the official publication of the Pacific Salmon Foundation in British Columbia, Canada
Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/496204
14 2015 psf.ca W ouldn't it be great if you could see through the surface of the ocean? You could just drop a fishing line right in front of your dinner, and all kids would be as familiar with sea urchins as they are with the crickets in their backyards. Alas, the ocean's surface is more like a dark blue blanket. But aquariums bring the ocean to eye level, and in so doing, allow aquatic life to be discovered, admired and, indeed, conserved. a nEW PErsPEctivE The idea of a mini aquarium came to marine specimen collector Philip Bruecker following a SCUBA dive in Ucluelet. A young girl on the dock shyly peeked into his collection bucket containing sea cucumbers and asked what they were. Although she grew up along the shore, she had never seen these common critters before. It was then that he realized children outside big cities need easier access to the aquarium experience. And so the mini-aquarium was born. The Ucluelet Mini Aquarium was a modest, boathouse-sized facility when it opened in 2004 as a two-year pilot project. Generously supported by the Pacific Salmon Foundation, it has since grown considerably. No longer mini, the recently expanded Ucluelet Aquarium is a prime attraction in its small town. It has even inspired two others of its kind: the Discovery Passage Aquarium in Campbell River (also a Foundation-supported project) and the Petty Harbour Mini Aquarium in Newfoundland. EducatiOn & cOnsErvatiOn Unique for their catch-and-release philosophies, mini-aquariums collect specimens by hand in local waters and, after a short season on display, release their collections to the ocean. Moreover, "touch tanks" allow for literal hands-on education. Both the Ucluelet and Campbell River facilities display salmon in various life stages. Of course, the response from visitors after being informed of the fishes' identity is almost always "yum." But these mini-aquariums spark conversations about salmon conservation, giving visitors a connection to the fish that extends beyond their dinner plate. Visit the Ucluelet Aquarium or the Discovery Passage Aquarium to see the Pacific Salmon Foundation-sponsored salmon displays. Melanie Knight founder of petty harbour mini aquarium & Co-founder of mini aquarium Consulting firm oCean to eye leVel Top: Exhibit at Ucluelet Aquarium. Left: Salmon display funded by Pacific Salmon Foundation at Discovery Passage Aquarium. C o m m u n i t y e d u C a t i o n FoSTerINg A PerSoNAl CoNNeCTIoN WITh SAlmoN WHO Cares About Salmon? Blue Sky ArchiveS The Ucluelet Mini Aquarium saw about 30,000 visitors in 2014 including school groups from Ucluelet, Tofino and neighbouring First Nations communities.