Science Response 2012/014

Status of Atlantic Salmon in Salmon Fishing Areas (SFAs) 19-21 and 23

Context

Atlantic salmon populations of the Maritimes Region have experienced two or more decades of decline. Atlantic salmon commercial fisheries were closed by 1985. In-river closures of recreational fisheries began in 1990 in the inner Bay of Fundy and expanded to all outer Bay (Salmon Fishing Area, SFA 23) and many eastern and southern shore rivers (SFAs 20 and 21) by 1998. In addition, Aboriginal communities have either reduced or curtailed their fishing activity. There are thought to be four large groupings of salmon in the Maritimes Region: the outer Bay of Fundy (western part of SFA 23), the Nova Scotia Southern Upland (SFAs 20 and 21), the inner Bay of Fundy (SFA 22 and part of SFA 23), and eastern Cape Breton (SFA 19) areas. Many populations are extirpated, and inner Bay of Fundy salmon (SFA 22 and a portion of SFA 23) are listed as Endangered under the Species at Risk Act. In November 2010, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) assessed the outer Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia Southern Upland, and Eastern Cape Breton populations as Endangered.

Science advice on the status of salmon in SFAs 19-21 and 23 was requested by Fisheries and Aquaculture Management (FAM) on 22 December 2011, with a response required by the end of February 2012.This advice is used to inform Aboriginal groups, and the provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, of the status of the salmon resource in advance of developing harvest agreements and to develop recreational fishing plans for 2012. Given that this request was for an update of previous advice using established methods (e.g., DFO 2011), it was decided to use the Science Special Response Process. This Science Response report is from the Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat, Maritimes Regional Science Special Response Process (SSRP) of February 21, 2012 on the Assessment of Atlantic Salmon.  

Overall, the information presented in this report does not outline a positive view of the status of Atlantic salmon in the eastern Cape Breton, Southern Upland, or outer Bay of Fundy areas. Only one of the three index rivers in SFA 19 (North River) met its conservation egg requirement in 2011. None of the other index rivers in SFAs 20, 21, or 23 met their conservation egg requirements in 2011.

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