Salmon Federation, Cooke Aquaculture work to revitalize Magaguadavic salmon - May. 25, 2010
Image courtesy of Cooke Aquaculture
Jon Carr, research biologist with the Atlantic Salmon Federation, prepares salmon fry for release into the Magaguadavic River earlier in May.
BY BARB RAYNER
barbrayn@nbnet.nb.ca
ST. GEORGE – With the wild Atlantic salmon population in the Magaguadavic River almost on the brink of extinction, concerted efforts continue to boost those dwindling stocks.
The Magaguadavic River Recovery Group, consisting of angling groups, conservation organizations, the salmon aquaculture industry and government agencies, was formed in the late 1990s with the goal of restoring the salmon stocks.
The wild salmon recovery program began in 1998 with the collection of seven wild broodstock from the head of the fish ladder on the Magaguadavic River. These fish were spawned and their eggs were incubated at Connors Bros. Lake Utopia hatchery (now Heritage Salmon).
In June 2000, smolts were moved from the hatchery to a Cooke Aquaculture sea cage growout site in Grand Manan and to a freshwater grow-out site at the Mactaquac Biodiversity Facility in French Village.
In the autumn of 2001, 74 Magaguadavic-origin salmon at Mactaquac sexually matured and were spawned. From those matings, approximately 29,000 unfed fry were released into the Magaguadavic watershed in June 2002.
Since then, efforts have continued each year to increase the number of salmon in the river. In 2007 Cooke Aquaculture offered to start a broodstock program at its Thomaston Corner hatchery, said Jonathan Carr, the Atlantic Salmon Federation’s senior biologist.
In that year, he said, most of the fry were released into the river but they kept some for future broodstock. This fall some of these fish will be big enough to spawn. In fact, said Carr, 2010 is going to be a really big year and they expect to have close to one million eggs this fall.
“This is one of the reasons we went to Cooke’s. They have the space and the expertise. To date, what we have done is try different release strategies.
“Most of our releases are fry. The reason we are sticking to that is because we want the fish out of the hatchery as soon as possible which probably gives them the best chance of survival.
The sooner they get into natural conditions and start fending for themselves, it is that much better for them.”
More than 170,000 wild salmon fry from Thomaston Corner were released into different parts of the river May 19 and another 50,000 will be going into the Magaguadavic by mid-June.
Carr explained that the first batch were placed in the river with about 10 per cent of their yolk sac left – enough to feed them for 24 to 48 hours.
The next batch, which will be distributed the week of June 7 or 14, will have been fed on artemia – small brine shrimp – while they are in the hatchery. Carr said the object is to get fish fry chasing feed which is more like their natural conditions.
In each case he said their goal is to put the fry in areas which are good juvenile salmon habitat and they also try to place them in areas where there are no predators to give them the best chance of survival possible.
Carr said they expect less than half of the unfed fry will survive to the adult stage. That may not sound like much but from a release of about 172,000 fry they would expect to return around 50 adult salmon under current survival conditions in fresh water and at sea.
“We would expect those fish (released in May 2010) to return to the river (head of the tide fish ladder in St. George) as adults in three to six years (from 2010 to 2015). That’s more adult wild salmon since 1996.”
Most of the fish coming back to the river right now are from the recovery program, said Carr. Last year only six came back and three had their adipose fin clipped showing they were part of the program.
“This year and next year we expect a few more fish coming back. We put 172,000 in this year and 147,000 in last year – but it’s going to take some time for the population to become reestablished.
“The experts say the river can hold up to 1.3 million eggs and this year we hope to produce almost one million at Cooke’s. Hopefully, four to eight years down the road with stocking of one million eggs a year, the river will be able to bounce back but there are still a lot of unknowns.”
During the first week in June the federal government will host an international treaty conference in Quebec City attended by all nations with wild Atlantic salmon populations.
However, ASF president Bill Taylor says the federal government deserves a failing grade for its record on domestic actions and international obligations when it comes to the stewardship of this troubled species.
“In Canada, the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans has the mandate and responsibility to protect wild Atlantic salmon populations.”
There has been a 73 per cent reduction in DFO funding of salmon conservation efforts since 1985, and in that time, a 50 per cent decline in salmon returns.
“There are many dedicated public servants with a passionate desire to save the wild Atlantic salmon but they need the resources to allow them to do that job.”
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