Atlantic Salmon Recovery Plan(Final)

Recovery Plan for theGulf of Maine Distinct Population

Segment ofAtlantic Salmon (Salmo salar)

U.S. Department of CommerceNational Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationNational Marine Fisheries Service

U.S. Department of InteriorFish and Wildlife ServiceEcological Services and Fisheries (Lead)

New England Fishery Management Council MeetingTuesday - Thursday, April 16-18, 2019

Presented By: Dan Kircheis, NOAA- Fisheries

About Atlantic salmon

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 2

• Anadromous

• Typically 4 – 5 years to reach maturity

• Iteroparous

• Spawn in rivers and streams with clean water and clean gravel substrate

• Mature in the North Atlantic

Abundance:

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 3

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

600019

6719

6819

6919

7019

7119

7219

7319

7419

7519

7619

7719

7819

7919

8019

8119

8219

8319

8419

8519

8619

8719

8819

8919

9019

9119

9219

9319

9419

9519

9619

9719

9819

9920

0020

0120

0220

0320

0420

0520

0620

0720

0820

0920

1020

1120

1220

1320

1420

1520

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U.S. Fisheries Management Plan (NASCO involvement)

AFCA: 1965

CWA: 1972

ESA listing: 2000Expanded: 2009

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 4

Gulf of Maine Distinct Population Segment

3 Salmon Habitat Recovery Units (SHRU’s)

Downeast Rivers

Penobscot

MerrymeetingBay (Kennebec & Androscoggin)

Geographic scope:

Plan Structure• Introduction

• Recovery Strategy

• Recovery Goals, Objectives and Criteria

• Recovery Actions

• Estimates of Time and Cost

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 5

Website: • Plan is supported by a website(www.AtlanticSalmonRestoration.Org)

- Recovery Plan Companion Document

- SHRU specific recovery strategies and work plans that detail specific activities

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 6

Recovery Criteria: (Delisting)Abundance:• Minimum of 2,000 wild adults in each SHRU

Productivity:• growth rate of greater than 1.0 over 10-years

• Less than a 50-percent probability of falling below 500 adult wild spawners in the next 15 years.

Habitat: • A minimum of 30,000 accessible and suitable Habitat in each SHRU

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 7

As part of the Species in the Spotlight NOAA-Fisheries developed a five year action plan for each of the spotlight species. For Atlantic salmon the action plan details focused efforts needed over the next 5 years to reduce the threats and stabilize population declines.

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 8

Dams…

marine survival and climate change…

Greenland Fishery…

Freshwater Habitat production…

Priority Actions in the Plan:

Atlantic salmon and other sea-run fish are imperiled throughout the northeast United States largely due to poor fish passage at dams. Addressing the issues of dams remains the highest priority.

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 9

Dams

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 10

Historic River network available to searun fish

Network unimpeded by dams in 1990

Over 600 Dams block or impede the passage of sea-run fish in Maine.

Addressing the threat of Dams and Road Crossing barriers

Addressing the threat:

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 11

Since the listing• > 23 Dams Removed• > 15 Fishways constructed• 100’s of culverts removed or replaced with fish friendly designs

The ESA has increased our capacity to address the threat of dams through regulatory measures that benefit all sea-run fish…

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 12

Eel photo credit: Robert F. Bukaty, 2017, The Associated Press.

• FPA

• ESA Section 7 and 10 (issuance of incidental take permits)

• ESA Section 9 (take Prohibitions)

• This recovery plan is recognized as Comprehensive Management Plan by FERC providing additional leverage

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 13

Greenland still allows a mixed stock intercept fishery for Atlantic salmon in which U.S. origin fish are often captured.

Mixed Stock Fishery

• The science advice is for no fishery

2018 Negotiations• 15 metric ton reduction of the

Greenland Fishery from 45 down to 30 (2018 – 2020)

• Greenland agreed to licensing requirements for all fisherman

• Required reporting by all fishermen

• ~ 2 - 3 U.S. Origin fish/ton

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 14

Reduce International Fishery Mortality in West Greenland through continued negotiations within the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization (NASCO) (International Management Body of Atlantic Salmon)

Citation: ICES 2016. ICES Advice on fishing opportunities, catch, and effort. North Atlantic. Report of the ICES Advisory Committee. ICES Advice 2016, Book 10

Increase our understanding of the Marine Environment

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 15

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

1978 1981 1984 1987 1990 1993 1996 1999 2002 2005 2008 2011

Mar

ine

prod

uctiv

ity in

dex

Year

1978-1989, 5.6 1990-2012, 1.9

Roughly 66% reduction of the number of marine fish produced per spawner

Increase our understanding of ecosystem linkages

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 16

AMO

SST

Capelin

Atlanticsalmon

Zooplankton

Phytoplankton

Salinity

NAO

Source: Mills, K. E., Pershing, A. J., Sheehan, T. F. and Mountain, D. (2013), Climate and ecosystem linkages explain widespread declines in North American Atlantic salmon populations. Glob Change Biol, 19: 3046–3061.

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 17

0

30

60

90

120

150

180

1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015

Leng

th (m

m)

12% reduction in capelin length

01234567

1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015

Ener

gy (k

J· g-

1)

34% reduction in capelin energy density

Increase our understanding of ecosystem linkages

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Understanding the effects of Climate change

Hare et al. 2016

Climatic Conditions Warmer,Wetter

Warmer, Drier

Fres

hwat

er A

cces

sibi

lity

Low

High

● Climatic Conditions:○ Climate changes as expected○ Less snow, earlier melt, precip more frequently falls as rain in winter○ Higher winter/lower spring streamflow ○ River temp increases ○ SST changes non-uniformly, with warming in the Gulf of Maine and less warming/cooling off Greenland● Most passage barriers remain● Salmon primarily affected by marine suitability, streamflow variability,

temperature, and barriers

● Climatic Conditions:○ Climate changes as expected○ Less snow, earlier melt, precip more frequently falls as rain in winter○ Higher winter/lower spring streamflow ○ River temp increases ○ SST changes non-uniformly, with warming in the Gulf of Maine and less

warming/cooling off Greenland● Passage barriers removed / modified ● Salmon primarily affected by marine suitability, streamflow variability and

temperature

● Climatic Conditions:○ Drier, warmer conditions prevail○ Less snow; precip lower (e.g., for extended time period)○ Higher winter/lower remainder of year streamflow○ River temp increases (number of consecutive extreme hot days exceeding salmon threshold increases)○ SST changes non-uniformly, with warming in the Gulf of Maine and less warming/cooling off Greenland● Passage barriers removed/modified ● Salmon primarily affected by marine suitability, streamflow variability and

temperature

● Climatic Conditions:○ Drier, warmer conditions prevail○ Less snow; precip lower (e.g., for extended time period)○ Higher winter/lower remainder of year streamflow○ River temp increases (number of consecutive extreme hot days exceeding salmon threshold increases)○ SST changes non-uniformly, with warming in the Gulf of Maine and less warming/cooling off Greenland● Most passage barriers remain● Salmon primarily affected by marine suitability, streamflow variability,

temperature, and barriers

Free Flowing

Hot and BlockedSoggy but Hindered

Hanging on by a Stream

Climate vulnerability analysis

Climate Scenario Planning

What the Recovery Plan can do:

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 19

• Provide leverage to further conservation efforts• FERC has accepted the Recovery Plan as a Comprehensive Plan

• Provide opportunities for collaboration and coordination• Development of SHRU specific recovery implementation teams

• Recognizes and acknowledges that sea-run fish restoration is going to take a long time and will cost a lot of money

• Renewed commitment by NOAA-Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to continue investing in sea-run fish conservation

What has 150 years of Salmon Conservation Efforts Given Us?

4/2/2019

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70+ year world-renowned recreational fishery.

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 21

Inspired E. Muskie to introduce what eventually became the Clean Water Act of 1972Ed Muskie: "Years ago, it used to be a stream where the great Atlantic salmon could be caught; then, as they disappeared, lesser fish. Until in my boyhood you couldn't catch anything else except the grubbiest of fish. And I was born just a few hundred yards from its shore. And from my experience as a boy living near that polluted river, but still able to enjoy many of the clean streams and lakes that we had and still have in Maine, I committed myself to the objective of doing all I could to deal with the problem."

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A Look Back at Ed Muskie's Legacy on his 100th Birthday, 03/28/2014 Reported By: Irwin Gratz

Because of efforts to conserve salmon through Dam removals and river conservation measures…

Maine still hassea-run fish!

4/2/2019

23Photo credit: Penobscot River Restoration Trust

Questions?

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