Research Document - 2013/105
Atlantic salmon returns to four rivers and harvests in various fisheries in Labrador for 2006-09
By D.G. Reddin, R.J. Poole, V. Brown, R. Lethbridge, H. Mesher, M. Pardy, and B. Lethbridge
Abstract
This paper summarizes information collected on salmonids during the years 2006 to 2009 in Labrador. A portable fish counting fence was installed at English River in Northern Labrador, and at Southwest Brook (Paradise River), Muddy Bay Brook, and Sand Hill River, in southern Labrador. Total returns of small and large salmon are used to determine if conservation requirements were met at these four rivers. English River met conservation requirements for all four years. The conservation requirement was met in South West Brook from 2006 to 2008; however, in 2009 the conservation requirement met was the lowest of all its years of operation at 26 %. Muddy Bay Brook returns did not meet the conservation requirement in 2007 or 2009 which was the second lowest of all the years of operation at 46 %. Sand Hill River surpassed conservation requirements in 2006 and 2008, however, in 2007 and 2009, 89 % and 59 % of the conservation requirement was met. Smolt counts were conducted at Sand Hill River since 2007. Smolt counts decreased from 80,994 in 2007 to 59,400 in 2009. Smolt survival of 1SW salmon declined from 6 % in 2007 to 2.5 % in 2008 and increased to 3.7 % in 2009. The survival of MSW salmon from the 2007 smolt class was 1 % and it decreased to 0.05 % in 2008. In 2006-09 there were four subsistence fisheries harvesting salmonids in Labrador. One was a resident trout net fishery with a by-catch of four salmon. The other three fisheries for food, social, and ceremonial (FSC) purposes included the Nunatsiavut Government (formerly the Labrador Inuit Association) (NG), the Innu Nation and the Labrador Metis Nation (LMN). The average percentage for number of small and large salmon over the 4 year period is 74.2 % and 25.8 %, respectively. The average percentage of weight of small and large salmon for the four years is 59.2 % and 40.82 %, respectively. Charr and trout were also harvested with an average number of 8,352 charr, and 11,423 trout of the four years. The average weight of charr and trout was 12,051 kg and 9,915 kg, respectively. Recreational angling catch and effort data is available for Salmon Fishing Area (SFA) 1, 2, 14B. The catch per unit effort for Labrador in 2009 was 0.92, which was lower than previous years.
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