Research Document 1998/113

Status of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) in Highlands River, Bay St. George (SFA 13), Newfoundland in 1997

By D.G. Reddin and R.R. Whalen

Abstract

The status of Atlantic salmon in Highlands River in 1997 was determined from the number of salmon counted through separate portable fish counting weirs (fences) for smolt and adult salmon. The two counting fences were located on the main stem just above head of tide. The assessment was conducted in response to major management changes that were first introduced in Bay St. George in 1978, further restrictions which were made in 1992 and continued in 1993-97 with the moratorium on commercial salmon fishing in insular Newfoundland. Adult returns in 1997 were 398 small salmon and 157 large salmon. The 1997 smolt count of 6,776 is the lowest on record for 1980-82 and 1993-97. The smolt and adult counts are complete and biological characteristics data were collected from downstream migrating kelt. Sea survival for the 1995 smolt class was 2.9% including the small salmon returning in 1996 and large salmon in 1997. Sea survival for the 1996 smolt class was 3.2% for the small salmon returning in 1997; the highest on record (large salmon will return in 1998). The proportion of the conservation requirement achieved for Highlands River in 1997 was 101%. This is the highest in the time series. On average for the period of 1980-82 and 1993-97, Highlands River achieved 59% of its conservation requirements.

Population estimates of juvenile salmon were made at 5 sites. At all stations, underyearlings were fewer than in 1995 and biomass was lower. An exceptionally high flood in February of 1996, prior to emergence of fry, moved massive amounts of substrate and was likely to have caused high mortalities on salmon parr and especially on the 1996-year class. Densities of the older parr were somewhat lower than previous values but were not affected to the same degree.

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