Student Employment at the Nechako White Sturgeon Conservation Centre Supported by Renewed Commitment from Rio Tinto

(Vanderhoof, BC) – Interns and summer students will have the opportunity to earn valuable work experience while assisting with the Nechako White Sturgeon Recovery Initiative, thanks to a partnership between Rio Tinto and the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC. The renewed five-year commitment allows the Freshwater Fisheries Society to hire two interns and two summer students to help with operations at the Conservation Centre, through until 2030.

The Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC operates the Nechako White Sturgeon Conservation Centre in Vanderhoof. As part of the recovery strategy for white sturgeon, juvenile sturgeon are raised at the Conservation Centre and released into the Nechako watershed each year. 2026 will mark the 11th year that juvenile sturgeon will be released from the facility.

The employment program will focus on the Nechako White Sturgeon Recovery Initiative objectives of 1) conservation, 2) research and monitoring and 3) stewardship and education, while creating opportunities for local employment in Vanderhoof.

The interns and summer students will deliver outreach initiatives to educate local communities about the recovery initiatives for white sturgeon and will deliver Conservation Centre tours and stewardship programs. The interns will also provide additional support for rearing, tagging, and tracking of white sturgeon and ongoing habitat research projects.

Recruitment activities for the intern positions are currently underway. Applicants interested in the summer student roles should watch for the job postings on the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC’s website, gofishbc.com, in March.

“Building on more than ten years of collaboration with the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC, Rio Tinto is proud to renew a five-year commitment extending the partnership to 15 years. This continued support reflects a long-term approach to conservation, research, and local employment in support of Nechako white sturgeon recovery,” said Tayna Thorpe, Manager, Communities and Social Performance, Rio Tinto BC Works.

“Thanks to the ongoing commitment from Rio Tinto, four individuals will be given an opportunity to gain new on-the-job skills, helping to deliver programs run out of the Conservation Centre while ensuring Nechako white sturgeon have future stewards to watch over them,” said Mike Manky, Hatchery Manager, Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC.