More than 50,000 sockeye salmon fry were released into the waters of the Okanagan River Channel Thursday morning.
The ceremonial release is part of the Okanagan Nation Alliance program to return stocks of the salmon to their traditional numbers in the region.
Along with members of the general public and Okanagan First Nations, about 500 students from 15 schools, who were part of the Fish in Schools program release fry they raised over the winter.
READ MORE: Fry release for kids and culture
Those fry and the millions released during other times are from the Penticton Indian Band fish hatchery.
Many of the fry will hopefully return to spawn near where they were originally released.
“From here the fry will hang out in Skaha Lake and eventually after about a year will go down to the ocean,” said Okanagan Nation Alliance fisheries biologist Kari Alex.
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Mark Brett | Reporter
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