EDMONTON - Go Fish! A new exhibition presented by the Provincial Museum of Alberta (PMA) in partnership with the Alberta Conservation Association opens April 24 and runs until July 20, 2003. It features the research and collections of the Museum's Ichthyology program. Ichthyology is the study of fish.

The exhibition is an exploration of Alberta's fish diversity. Only about 30 percent of Alberta's fishes are considered game species and are actively sought after by about 350,000 anglers each year. The other 70 percent of the fish population are small, inconspicuous, and of little direct recreational or commercial value. However, they are critical in maintaining healthy ecosystems and the productive natural environments that enhance our own quality of life.

Lead by the Museum's Curator of Ichthyology, Mark Steinhilber, the PMA collects, documents and researches Alberta fish. This collection includes all the province's species containing over 20,000 specimens. The Museum is building a collection that documents the diversity of our fish populations that will provide future generations with a window to the past.

The PMA houses 13 different curatorial programs and corresponding collections that contain over two million artifacts. As space is at a premium, less than five percent of all the Museum's holdings are on public display at any given time.

The Spotlight Gallery is a series of exhibitions that interprets the story of Alberta through our curators and their collections, connecting visitors with important pieces of our rich history.

The Provincial Museum of Alberta is located at 12845-102 Ave. Edmonton. For further information phone (780) 453-9100. Visit our Web site at www.pma.edmonton.ab.ca.

Go Fish! will open with a media event starting at 10:30 am on Thursday, April 24, 2003.

For further information:

Julie Calderbank
Marketing and Communications Coordinator
Phone: 780-453-9111
Email: julie.calderbank@gov.ab.ca

Todd Crawshaw
Communications Assistant
Phone: 780-453-9186
Email: todd.crawshaw@gov.ab.ca