Atlantic salmon restocking raises questions at dinner

From what I saw of it, the most productive pools at the Miramichi Salmon Association’s annual banquet held in Newton, Mass., last weekend were Arlie Wynn’s slide presentation on the progress of the Miramichi’s SatWynn’s slide presentation on the progress of the Miramichi’s Satellite Rearing Program, a speech detailing spawning-related studies by Dr. Alex Bielak of the Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans, and MSA President Jack Fenety’s closing speech.

Wynn, a retired hatchery manager from Truro, New Brunswick, is supervisor of the Satellite Rearing Program initiated last year by the MSA and the Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans. The program consists of rearing fry in holding tanks located at several sites along the Miramichi River. Water from the river flows into and out of the tanks, thereby acclimating and imprinting the fry, which are released into the river in the fall.

Compared with smolt stockings, fry stockings usually result in returns of salmon that are healthier because of their more natural development. Smolt stockings produce quicker returns of adult salmon, but in the long run, fry stockings appear to produce salmon better suited for survival.

In Arlie Wynn’s words, “The idea is to raise them as closely as possible to the way they’d be raised naturally.” In recent years, fin-clipped fry released from holding tanks at Black Brook and Rocky Brook clubs on the Miramichi resulted in encouraging returns of grilse and adult salmon. Wynn pointed out that the survival rate of the fry was increased because the fish were not exposed to natural predation during the rearing period. Accordingly, fry stocking seems to make the most sense.

After wading through the usual raffle and auction items associated with Atlantic salmon banquets, the gathering heard MSA President Jack Fenety’s refreshingly candid speech in regard to the state of Atlantic salmon stocks. “Things in the Atlantic salmon world have not been overly great in the past number of years,” he began, “but we have managed, with a little bit of luck, to keep the salmon coming in numbers sufficient to keep our interest and buoy our hopes for better things to come.”

In regard to catch-and-release fishing, Fenety said, “It hasn’t proven to be the panacea we had hoped it might be, but to a considerable degree it has worked. It has significantly increased the number of large salmon spawning in our rivers each fall. Unfortunately, the much hoped for large returns of fish haven’t happened.”

Then, Fenety made direct reference to what many salmon fishermen have long suspected: “Somewhere along the migratory route of the Atlantic salmon there is a major problem. Just what that problem is, no one can as yet say. We do know, however, that we’ve increased to a huge extent the numbers of smolt leaving our rivers each year for eight years; but we have not seen anywhere near the numbers of salmon returning based on the numbers of smolt. What is the cause of this, you ask? Good question. Unfortunately, there is no answer….

“New programs are being designed to help us find the answer. Is it cold water temperatures in the sea? Could it be a decided lack of food for the increased numbers of salmon seeking it out, or could it be attributed to predation by the now huge and rapidly growing seal herds in the North Atlantic? Those are but some of the questions we must find answers for. There could be others, of course, but, whatever, there is a large problem somewhere in the ocean.”

To that I say, “Amen.”

In regard to Indian netting, Fenety said, “Another extremely serious problem, and one you are aware of, is the continuing of the Indian `food fisheries’ carried out in the major salmon river systems in eastern Canada. Much has been spoken and written about this vexatious problem, but very little has been done to help alleviate it.”

During a speech made at the afternoon symposium, New Brunswick’s Minister of Natural Resources and Energy, the Honorable Alan Graham, alsoof Natural Resources and Energy, the Honorable Alan Graham, also referred to the problem of Indian netting and promised to do all he could to eliminate the use of gill nets in salmon rivers. As one man in the audience remarked, “Good luck.”

Fenety’s speech also mentioned Newfoundland’s commercial netting, which intercepts migrations of salmon journeying to winter feeding grounds. “There actually is a strong rumor making the rounds as to a five-year moratorium in Newfoundland,” he said. “There could be some sound basis for it, but I really don’t know just what the chances are of such an event coming to pass. Keep in mind the Newfoundland commercial fishermen, like all other users, haven’t been overly happy with their failures in most areas to even catch their allowable quotas last year.”

In making his annual forecast, the MSA president said, “The In making his annual forecast, the MSA president said, “The 1992 angling season will be about on par with last year. Given better weather conditions, your catch records could improve. Catch-and-release will continue, and all other regulations will remain largely unchanged. If the five-year Newfoundland moratorium comes into being, then look for at least a 25 percent increase in the numbers of large salmon coming into the Miramichi this year.” As you know, that moratorium also would bode well for Maine rivers.

Again, Fenety’s speech was refreshingly candid. It was a direct cast, uncluttered by unrealistic predictions, numbers, and statistics that are about as interesting as fishing in rising water.

Indeed, it is disturbing to realize that regardless of the millions of dollars that have been raised, the monumental work that has been done, and all the seemingly unattainable gains that have been accomplished, Atlantic salmon stocks still continue to decline.

Keep in mind that whenever we lose a natural resource, our lives become less natural.