Now that the salmon fishing season has almost wrapped up across the province
and all that’s left are the stories and the gear that needs tending to it’s
time to begin planning for the year(s) ahead. At both Executive Board
meetings and the Annual General meeting this past March Gary has mentioned
the possibility for Affiliates to become involved in ASF’s smolt tracking
program – Fred has now provided us the information as to how you/your group
can participate.
The attached brochure indicated how Affiliates, Conservation Groups, Camps,
Schools, Industry and Individuals can participate in Adopt-A-Smolt, part of
ASF’s smolt tracking efforts. The cost is not cheap at $500.00/per “pinger”
or transmitter…that’s $500.00/smolt; but will contribute greatly to the
growing body of knowledge ASF is accumulating on the movement patterns of
Atlantic salmon smolt. In time, this information will also become part of
the broader Ocean Tracking Network (OTN) program in which ASF is a partner.
Exerpts from Fred’s report re: participation in ASF's Adopt-a-Smolt program
(see attached file entitled ocean tracking):
• Affiliates and Councils can participate in our established program
(smolt from Restigouche, Miramichi, St. Jean (Côte Nord) or Grand Cascapedia
Rivers) through the purchase of pingers in the Adopt-a-Smolt program.
Attached you will find the program brochure that outlines how to proceed.
• If Affiliates wish to conduct work on a specific river system, they
can design and fund a program on their own for that river. I recommend the
tagging of a minimum of 25 smolts per river. You will also need to obtain
permits, train crews and establish a mechanism to capture smolts so that
they can be fitted with the tags, and possibly wire the head-of-tide areas
and the estuaries so you can determine what fraction of your fish are
actually making it to sea. It may be possible for the ASF surgical teams to
implant the tags for you, but at present I do not have the resources or
infrastructure capability to undertake the capture of smolts in rivers
additional to those we are now working with.
If you have any questions or comments please do not hesitate to contact Gary
or myself.
Thanks,
Trish
Patricia Edwards, M.Sc.
NB Regional Director, Atlantic Salmon Federation
ph: 506-536-3051 /f: 506-536-2495 /c: 506-364-5324
e-mail: edwards1@nb.sympatico.ca
Conservation for a Bright Future