Research Document - 2001/009

Status of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo Salar) in the Buctouche River and Relative Juvenile abundance in other Southestern New Brunswick River in 2000

By Gary Atkinson & John Peters

Abstract

Due to egg depositions well below the conservation requirement in most years, all harvesting of Atlantic salmon on the Buctouche River was proscribed as of 1998. Nonetheless, in 2000 ten small salmon were retained for food by Buctouche First Nation. Salmon returns in 2000 were calculated from the catches and calculated efficiency of an estuary trapnet operated by Buctouche First Nation. Total large salmon returns were estimated at 100 and total small salmon returns at 38, with respective spawning escapements of 100 and 28. Total egg deposition was estimated at 36% of the conservation requirement, which is 26% below the previous five year average. Salmon fry densities on the Buctouche and four other rivers in southeastern New Brunswick generally exceeded the Elson norm of 29 per unit, indicating that spawning escapement was unusually high in the area in 1999 and confirming that year's assessment of high returns to the Buctouche. The forecast for the Buctouche in 2001 is the five year mean of total returns, which is 156 (90% CL 95-217) large and 94 (61-127) small salmon. This is well below the conservation requirement, and with all retention fisheries closed there is only a 4% probability that the egg requirement will be met in 2001. However, since small salmon typically contribute only 2% of all eggs, they could arguably sustain a restricted fishery with minimum impact on egg deposition.

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