Juvenile salmon aquarium will be one of many exciting features at this year's Fish for the Future (Photo: Rodney Hsu)..

The public is invited to the sixth annual Fish for the Future on Saturday July 12th. This year’s festival will once again take place at the No. 2 Road Pier in Steveston, at the south end of No. 2 Road, behind the bike park.

Fish for the Future is the only event taking place in BC during the National Fishing Week. It aims to promote recreational fishing as a fun and educational activity. Organizers also hope to bring public awareness to wildlife conservation, watershed stewardship and habitat protection.

The festival will run from 10am to 3pm. Up to twenty different activities will be featured this year, making it the largest since the event began in 2003. The main feature will be family dock fishing. Free fishing licenses for kids under the age of 16 will be available. A limited number of fishing rods can also be borrowed by young participants who do not have one. Some event highlights include:

• Birds of prey exhibition – the Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society will once again be showcasing common predatory bird species found in BC.
• Go fishing in BC – British Columbia offers world class salt and freshwater fishing. Fisheries & Oceans Canada and the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC will help newcomers to get started by answering all the questions.
• Fly tying workshop – fly tying is an art that requires patience and creativity. Create an artificial fly that resembles aquatic insects found at your favorite fishing spot.
• Fly casting demo – Expert casting instructors will be offering free lessons to those who wish to master this challenging sport.
• The fishy station – Over 50 different fish species are found in the Fraser River. Study them in on-site aquariums and collect salmon, trout and rockfish identification cards for future references.
• The salmon station – The Seymour Salmonid Society will be showcasing juvenile coho salmon and explaining the life history of pacific salmon.

To keep the event theme green, organizers have also invited many local stewardship groups to be part of the festival, including Georgia Strait Alliance, Vancouver Aquarium, Burns Bog Conservation Society, BC Hydro Powersmart, Council of Canadians and Fraser River Estuarium & Education Society.

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