Hoy-Scott Watershed Society Announces 2025 Board of Directors

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President Kyle Uno (right) delivers a Year in Review at AGM on Sept. 24. The meeting was hybrid for society members.

The Hoy-Scott Watershed Society held an annual general meeting on Sept. 24, 2025, at the Coquitlam library and voted in the following president, treasurer and directors:

• President – Kyle Uno (second term)

• Treasurer – Sandra Uno (second term)

• Director - Anne Woosnam (past secretary, assistant hatchery manager)

• Director - Kim Mayes (reappointment)

• Director - Matthew Watts (reappointment)

The above mentioned join the existing board members:

• Vice President – Tyler Storgaard (final year of second term, and hatchery manager)

• Secretary – Robbin Whachell (final year of first term, past director, past president)

The AGM highlighted a Year in Review for the society which highlighted:

• 20K chum fry/smolts; 17K coho fry

• Salmon in the Classroom releases

• Habitat restoration project on Hoy Creek 

• Public education and awareness: Festivals and Tours

• Instream water quality monitoring

• Invasive species removal: Touch-me-knot, Policeman’s Helmet 

• Spawner survey data

• Challenges: Break-ins, poaching 

• New charity status

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A Year in Review at our AGM on Sept. 24 at the Poirier Branch of the Coquitlam Library.

Through stewardship, community outreach, education and advocacy, we are dedicated to protecting the Hoy/Scott Watershed.

Hoy-Scott Watershed Society, (HSWS) is a not-for-profit, volunteer-run environmental stewardship group, that conducts a year-round salmon enhancement program in partnership with the City of Coquitlam, and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

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Treasurer, Sandra Uno delivers the Financial Overview. In 2025 the Hoy/Scott Watershed Society became a Canadian Registered Charity: 863285847RR0001

11,953 Coho Clipped at Hoy Creek Hatchery

HSWS Photo

On June 19, a dedicated team of volunteers and partners came together at Hoy Creek Hatchery to carry out an important milestone in our salmon enhancement efforts — fin clipping. Beginning at 4:00 p.m., our crew worked carefully and efficiently to clip the adipose fins of 11,953 young coho salmon, now approximately three months old.

The adipose fin, a soft, fleshy fin located behind the dorsal fin and ahead of the tail (caudal fin), is clipped for several key reasons:

• Stock assessment: Once these salmon return to spawn, the missing fin identifies them as hatchery-raised, aiding researchers and streamkeepers in tracking returns.

• Selective fisheries: In some regions, marked fish may be legally retained, supporting more sustainable fishing practices.

• Population tracking: Clipping allows for a manual fish count, providing a more accurate tally than previous weight-based estimates.

This year’s activity was led by DFO community advisor Eric Kukulowicz, with hatchery manager Tyler Storgaard overseeing on site. Additional DFO support came from Grace (biologist) and Cathy (former CA).

We’re incredibly grateful to our Hoy/Scott Watershed Society volunteers who contributed: Anne, Jiameng, Amy, Thomas, Suzz, Carter, Jenn, Tyler, Rodney, Jeremy, Dylan, Katelyn, Adela, and Breanna. A special thanks to Anne, who took time to explain the process to curious passersby in the park, helping educate our community about the importance of this annual task.

The process involves gently anesthetizing the fish in small batches. Once sleepy, they’re transferred to a water-filled trough where volunteers use sterilized surgical scissors to clip the fin quickly — usually within a minute before the fish begin to wake. From there, the salmon are returned to recover in a flow-through trough and then back into the hatchery.

Soon, these coho will be moved from the Capilano trough room to the hatchery’s rearing pond, where they’ll continue to grow until they are released in spring of 2026. If all goes well, we could see this brood return to Hoy Creek in 2.5 to 3 years’ time.

A huge thank you to everyone who helped make this year's fin clipping a success. Your efforts support long-term salmon conservation and community-based stewardship.