Atlantic Salmon Federation reports low stocks
The Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) is calling last year’s salmon returns amongst the lowest it has seen in 49 years of collected data.
They are numbers that, the ASF believes, continue the species’ downward trend and are a threat to the stock’s sustainability.
The numbers come from the federation’s annual report, “State of Wild Atlantic Salmon.” In that report, the federation says about 436,000 adult Atlantic salmon returned to rivers in North America in 2019.
When it comes to Newfoundland and Labrador, the report estimated that 10 of the 24 rivers assessed showed a decline. In seven of those 10 rivers, that decline was more than 30 per cent.
“Wild Atlantic salmon are struggling to adapt to warming rivers, changing oceans and pressure from human development that continues to alter waterways and landscapes,” Bill Taylor, president of the Atlantic Salmon Federation, stated in a news release. “It will take provincial and federal governments working side by side with First Nations organizations, watershed groups and NGOS on priority projects to make a change.”
The federation points at the loss of freshwater habitat because of dams, industrial forestry, agriculture and invasive species. In addition to that, the fish farms operating in bays around the province expose young salmon to sea lice and disease.
The salmon report indicates the Department of Fisheries and Oceans recorded 13,356 fish in the Exploits River in Central Newfoundland. According to the report, that is down from the previous year.
LATE RUNS
Calvin Francis of Gander Bay says the federation’s report is based on a small window of the province’s salmon season. On the Gander River, Francis said, they often see runs into the middle of the fall.
“They start (the counts) a little early and they finish up far too early,” he said. “They never go into September and we know from experience we get good runs in the Gander River in September and even as far as October.
“Most times, these fishways are closed by the end of August and, therefore, you could have thousands of salmon coming into these rivers and no one is recording it.”
Francis manages the fishway in Glenwood and will stay there sometimes until September, and he figures the Gander River saw one of its best years in a long time when it came to salmon in 2019.
“For last year and the year before, we’ve seen a modest increase there,” said Francis. “Not only have we seen good returns … we had better fishing then than any time in July or August, which is a big period.
“(The fish) were aggressive and they were plentiful.”
Anglers below the dam in Bishop’s Falls say they’re seeing a slight jump in the number of fish this season.
“All of the boys that were fishing here, they couldn’t believe there was as many fish coming up,” Melvin Ledrew said in between casting his line in the Exploits River.
FEW FISH
Meanwhile, above the dam in
Grand Falls-windsor, anglers such as Aaron Stacey aren’t surprised by the numbers being reported by the federation.
Stacey says he hasn’t seen many fish being hooked in the time he has spent on the river, although it is a bit early yet.
“It’s been pretty scarce so far,” he said.
Shawn Feener of Grand Falls-windsor says there needs to be an increase in enforcement on the river if the salmon stock is to flourish.
A former fisheries officer and river guide, Feener places much of the blame for low numbers on poachers and gillnets.
It is something he combatted during his time as an officer, and says it is suffocating the salmon numbers today.
“It is so frustrating. There is nobody doing any protection on the river,” said Feener. “That’s why there is no salmon. We’ve always said if there is 25,000 fish go over the dam in Bishop’s Falls, there are 25,000 salmon poached out in the saltwater.”
The province has 90 officers stationed throughout the province.
Feener said he would like to see more effort to enforce fish regulations along the river, which would be as simple as having an enforcement group working the tides and running the river.
“If they were to do that, I would say they would stop the poaching by 70 per cent,” he said.
The Atlantic Salmon Federation is calling for a better working relationship between different levels of government to address the issue.
“People have continuously been asked to give up rights and privileges in the name of conservation, but those sacrifices have not been matched by meaningful action from governments. It’s time for governments to co-ordinate with each other, follow through on commitments and make decisions on tough issues. In turn, government leaders will find broad support, help and advice from people who care about wild salmon and wild rivers,” said Taylor.