The Nashwaak Watershed

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Dismal Salmon Returns to the Nashwaak in 2012

December 3, 2012

As you inspect the grilse (1 sea winter fish) returns on the DFO web site you will see that grilse numbers were as low as 25% of 2004-2008 averages in many NB rivers, and this suggests that conditions were quite harsh (cold) in the Labrador Sea feeding grounds last winter.

While the marine environment was hard on fish from other NB rivers, the severity of the population decrease in the Saint John system was away out of proportion to that in other rivers with grilse numbers being 7% at Mactaquac and 4% on the Nashwaak of 2004- 2008 averages.

The crash of populations in the Saint John system in the mid 1990s was also much more severe than the declines experienced in the other NB rivers, and that “more severe decline” corresponded with the rapid rise of sea lice populations generated in Bay of Fundy salmon farms.

Natural conditions have salmon smolt moving out into the open ocean in late spring, long BEFORE the sea-lice-laden adults arrive to ascend their home rivers to spawn – so there are few sea lice eggs and sea lice juveniles available to infest the seaward migrating smolts, however with the advent of salmon aquaculture in the Bay of Fundy, sea lice eggs and sea lice juveniles are constantly being released into the water column unless they are almost completely controlled with pesticides.

When Bay of Fundy salmon farms gained almost complete control of sea lice using SLICE (Emamectin Benzoate) for a few years — Saint John river system salmon populations began to recover, with spectacular increased returns on the Nashwaak River (no dams here). Nashwaak returns seen on the website (above) are generally underestimates due to periods when the counting fence at Durham Bridge is not operational due to high water events, however numbers at the Mactaquac Dam on the main stem of the Saint John River, near Fredericton, are accurate as every fish moving upstream is counted there.

So here we are again. The salmon farming industry in the Bay of Fundy has recently lost almost complete control of sea lice because the parasites have developed resistance to SLICE, the only really effective pesticide that exists – and we are again faced with severe salmon population decreases in the Saint John River system.

It is doubtful that we can have robust Atlantic salmon populations in the Saint John system as long as the salmon farms are generating massive numbers of sea lice which drift in the water column to meet seaward migrating smolt in the spring. Reports from other areas around the Atlantic Ocean suggest that salmon smolt mortality approaches 100% when they acquire 9 or 10 sea lice during their outward migration.

If you have questions, comments or would like to discuss this further, feel free to contact me via email.

-Peter Salonius

Photo by Paul Nicklen ©2007 National Geographic Society

Filed Under: News & Events Tagged With: aquaculture, atlantic salmon, environment, grilse, new bruwnswick, returns

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- 167 days ago

Mr. Woodcock's talented gr 12 FHS music class joined us at Marysville Flats this week! We talked climate change and floodplain restoration. We're excited to hear what they create from their Nashwaak River trip. Kudos to the NB Dept of Ed for supporting this awesome experience! https://t.co/6nGyCy7XBP

- 168 days ago

Thanks for supporting this outdoor learning opportunity. Come visit anytime. It was a pleasure to spend time talking about water, climate change and floodplain restoration. @ASD_West @ASDWLimelight @FHSkats @CityFredGov @CityFredRec #eaunbwater #mynashwaak https://t.co/ALhfzSS123

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@Andrew__Holland @mla_mike @Gov_NB @NCC_CNC Excellent work!

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Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

2 days ago

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.
#DYK Pollinator species such as bees 🐝, hummingbirds, and butterflies🦋help plants reproduce by spreading pollen? This is important because it supports the biodiversity of native plants as well as crops around the world.If you would like to help our pollinator friends, here are some tips for growing a pollinator garden:🌻Succession planting - plan to have a variety of plants that bloom from spring to fall.🌷Cultivate variety - different pollinators love different shapes and colours of blossoms. Ensure there is a variety for them to choose from.🪺 Add bird baths and bee houses - this will encourage pollinators to take up residence and come back year after year.See the link below to discover native plant species that will make pollinators sure to visit your garden! 👇davidsuzuki.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/DSF-NB-plant-list.pdf#ecofriendlyfriday #pollinator #MyNashwaak #nativeplantgarden ... See MoreSee Less

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Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

4 days ago

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.
Wondering what we’ve been up to lately? If you’re new here, you may not know that we plant lots of trees each year to help re-establish healthy floodplain forests along the Nashwaak River. These floodplain forests are composed of a mixture of silver maple, bur oak, red-tipped willow, red-osier dogwood, and many other species to ensure that there is lots of habitat for local biodiversity. 🌱Over the past two weeks, we’ve spent lots of time flagging! Each spring, we flag our recently planted trees so that we can conduct our seasonal maintenance. While these trees are superstars in terms of their ability to help stabilize riverbanks and provide habitat for local wildlife, they still need some help to ensure that they can survive. Mowing these areas helps to reduce competition from grass and ensure that they are receiving adequate sunlight. If you ever feel like lending a hand, please reach out to us via email at staff@nashwaakwatershed.ca! #MyNashwaak #riverbankrestoration #treeplanting #volunteer ... See MoreSee Less

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Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

4 days ago

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.
Sunday was a beautiful day for birding and what a wonderful gang we had at @nashwaakmeadows . A big thank you to Dan Serpiello and @atlanticducks for making it such a fun morning! The highlight was definitely the American bitterns ❤️ #birdwatching #community #MyNashwaak ... See MoreSee Less

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Contact Us

Mail:
Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.
P.O. Box 314, Station “A”
Fredericton, NB
E3B 4Y2

Office:
181 Westmorland Street
Fredericton, NB
E3B 3L6
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Phone: 506 447-9699
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