Research Document - 2009/078

Information on Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) from Salmon Fishing Area 15 (Gulf New Brunswick) of relevance to the development of the COSEWIC status report

By P. Cameron, G. Chaput, and P. Mallet

Abstract

This document presents information on Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) from Salmon Fishing Area (SFA) 15 (northern New Brunswick in DFO Gulf Region) of relevance to the development of the status report by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). There are 15 recognized Atlantic salmon rivers in this area of which the Restigouche River is the largest river. Data are presented and interpreted relative to the following: biological characteristics, stocking of fish, area of occupancy based on juvenile surveys, indicators of adult abundance for monitored rivers, freshwater production based on juvenile surveys and smolt production, and factors which may be constraining Atlantic salmon abundance. For the rivers in this area, the indices of adult abundance suggest that there were more salmon in the mid to late 1980s than there have been in the past 15 years. As a result of changes in fisheries management, spawning escapement has increased from the 1970s and early 1980s resulting in increased abundance of juvenile salmon. The principal threats are: habitat alteration including habitat fragmentation due to non compliant culverts, hydroelectric power generation and cumulative effect of ecosystem changes.

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