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Salmon Populations Balance Between Restoration and Extinction |
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ST. ANDREWS, NEW BRUNSWICK, Jun. 21 -/E-Wire/--
A report by the Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) on the health of wild Atlantic salmon confirms that their survival depends on government resolve to solve the mystery of increased mortality at sea. ASF™ biennial report, based on advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), reveals that about 200,000 of the 700,000 migrating North American salmon won™ make it back to their home rivers in 2006. This amounts to more than twice the mortality of 20 years ago.
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ASF™ report, Atlantic Salmon at the Balancing Point-2006, indicates that, although the total population has increased by 60 percent over 2001 all-time low of 418,000, there are still too few salmon to seed most North American salmon rivers. "In fact, said ASF President Bill Taylor, "Newfoundland is the only region in North America that is meeting minimum conservation limits."
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Atlantic salmon populations in the United States met only 4 percent of their minimum conservation limits and many populations are threatened with extinction. Only 1,313 were counted returning to U. S. rivers in 2005, a 20 percent decline from 2004. Fewer than 25 wild salmon returned to Maine™s troubled Downeast rivers (Dennys, East Machias, Machias, Narraguagus, Pleasant), in 2005. The U.S. Government listed those rivers as endangered in 2000. The Penobscot River in Maine now hosts 75 percent of the returns of the entire U.S., and a revitalization project for this river sponsored by ASF and its partners represents the last best chance for survival of this species in the U.S.
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"Mortality at sea is the single most important issue to solve to allow continued restoration of the wild Atlantic salmon," added Mr. Taylor, and this problem of national significance and international scope requires government intervention."
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Mr. Taylor is urging Canada and the United States to provide research resources and funding to a new international framework for ocean research on salmon that has emerged. Called SALSEA, this program will provide understanding of the mysterious phenomenon whereby wild salmon leave their native rivers to feed in the open North Atlantic, and simply fail to return, even though the obvious culprit, commercial fisheries, have been significantly curtailed.
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The SALSEA program requires the commitment and cooperation of all member countries of the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization (NASCO), and an expenditure of about $16,000,000 to be shared among these nations (Canada, United States, European Union, Norway, Russia, Iceland, and Denmark).
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"The expenditure is reasonable," concluded Mr. Taylor, "considering that ASF, a non government charitable organization, has already invested more than ten years and $3,000,000 into research on tracking smolt (juvenile salmon) as they migrate to sea. This year, ASF will monitor migrating salmon from various rivers, such as the Restigouche and Miramichi in N.B. and the Grand Cascapedia, St. Jean (North Shore), and York in Quebec to their northern exit from the Gulf of St. Lawrence through the Strait of Belle Isle between Labrador and Newfoundland into the Labrador Sea."
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ASF resolved to support and participate in the SALSEA program through advocacy and coordination of our research activities at its Spring Board meeting in Toronto. NASCO greatly welcomed this support at the organization™ annual meeting in Finland in early June.
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The complete report, Atlantic Salmon at the Balancing Point-2006, and an Executive Summary can be found on ASF™ web site at www.asf.ca.
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The Atlantic Salmon Federation is an international, non-profit organization that promotes the conservation and wise management of wild Atlantic salmon and their environment. ASF has a network of seven regional councils (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Maine and Western New England) with a membership of more than 140 river associations and 40,000 volunteers. The regional councils cover the freshwater range of the Atlantic salmon in Canada and the United States.
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/SOURCE:
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The Atlantic Salmon Federation |
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06-21-2006 |
/CONTACT:
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Sue Scott
VP, Communications
Tel : 506 529-1027 (direct line)
Muriel Ferguson
Manager, Public Information
Tel : 506 529-1033 (direct line) or 506 529-4581 Website : Atlantic Salmon Federation |
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