The Fundy National Park Inner Bay of

Fundy Atlantic Salmon recovery program:

- Assessing effects on fitness of 2 captive rearing

and release strategies.

Clarke, C., (1) Purchase C.F. (2) , Fraser D.J.(3) , Mazerolle D.F.(1)

1 Parks Canada Fundy National Park, Alma NB 2 Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s NL 3 Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal PQ

Atl. Canada – NB - FNP Rivers

Point Wolfe

Upper Salmon

Fry & Fall Parr est. 2006

Adult only est. 2003

Why are IboF Salmon Endangered?

- Historic returns of

more than 40,000

have been reduced to

as few as 250

Marine survival

considered to be most

limiting recovery.

Assessed as

Endangered by

COSEWIC in 2001

Fresh

Marine

2001- 2003 assessment of FNP stocks

ACTION:

Capture remnant families,

Live Gene Bank (LGB),

release @ various stages

SMOLT WHEEL

DFO MACTAQUAC “LGB”

Conclusions from ‘01-’03

Assessment of FNP rivers: - Juv. density declining

- Insufficient returns to recover

- Genetic diversity concern

Collect Remnant Individuals

DFO hatchery

Adaptive program

in ‘re-circ’ by 2006

DFO LGB

Adult or

Juvenile

Releases

Collect

As

Smolt

Captive

Rear

Release & Smolt capture History

- 2,562 adults released since 2003 (Avg.=256/yr)

- 791,000 fry and 132,000 parr released since 2006 (113k & 19k/yr)

Smolt migrations tracked past releases

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Fry Parr Smolt Capture

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Adults Released 2+ Smolt Capture

Upper Salmon River Point Wolfe River

Fry Origin (Adipose fin)

Parr Origin (Clipped)

USR strategies produced different smolts: Did that matter later in life or in next generation?

Age 110%

Age 288%

Age 32%

2008 Release: Fry Origin (n=832)

Age 182%

Age 218%

Age 30%

2008 Release: Parr Origin (n=368)

Age 19%

Age 285%

Age 36%

2009 Release: Fry Origin (n=327)

Age 185%

Age 215%

2009 Release: Parr Origin (n=1051)

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Fry Parr

If smolts were different, which were best?

1-4yrs later

Similar survival in hatchery

Release: Fry & Parr Capture sample

of Smolts

<0.1% return from sea

Rearing smolts in Bay of Fundy

-To gain contrast under current

conditions, a proxy marine

environment was needed.

- 2010 USR smolts were reared in BoF

sea cages during marine life phase.

FNP

18 Months later, at the grilse stage,

fish were used in 2 experiments

• ~300 fry and parr-origin were

tagged and released to IBoF

to monitor homing ability

• 100 fry and 100 parr used in

spawning experiments to

monitor egg viability

Released cage fish to IBoF, 2011 (15km from USR)

319 Released - All Tagged externally

- 44 Acoustic Tagged

2011 Adult Return Monitoring

Upper Salmon (River of Smolt Origin):

Diver Observations

- 5 fish observed

- 4 (5%) Fry & 1 (0.3%) Parr

Acoustic Detections (1st pool & up)

- 6 fish detected

- 3 (14%) Fry & 3 (14%) Parr

Overall Tracking Observations

• Divers observed:

• 13 (16%) of the fry

• 24 (9%) of the parr in 3 rivers

• 10 acoustic stations around BoF detected:

•17 acoustic tags from Fry (38%)

•16 acoustic tags from Parr (36%)

•Notable 2011 detections included:

•New Minas Basin

•Petticodiac River

•Mactaquac Hatchery

Spawning Fry & Parr – origin parents

14 crosses of Fry parents

9 crosses of Parr parents

Viability recorded weekly

for 5 months

Egg Viability Results:

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Cage reared mean family egg viability after 5 months incubation

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All treatments mean family egg viability after 5 months incubation

Fry releases produced more viable

offspring after 5 month incubation

Note:

*Comparing hatchery reared post smolts

suggests brief change in early conditions

had greater effect on viability than 18 mo.

post-smolt phase.

*Low number of crosses and comparable

parents in hatchery group

Slide pool on USR in 2012

Spawning experiment fish released to USR in fall 2011

2012 USR Returns, a >20yr high!

42 observed returns.

Of 188 Cage and 70 Hatchery rel:

-11% of Cage (13% Fry, 9% Parr)

-4% of Hatchery (7% Fry, 2% Parr)

Adult Returns to FNP

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Adult salmon return observations Fundy National Park

Point Wolfe River

Upper Salmon River

oCareful consideration of what stage and how to captive rear

o Avoid earliest stages (although demographic and/or $ advantages)

o Consider adaptive and selective plasticity of life stages for effects on wild fitness

o Naturalizing captive environments continues to show promise

oRelease volume is also likely important oNotable returns from adult releases approaching historic USR #’s

o‘14-’15 Smolts will index spawning success and be ideal broodstock

What works? , not sure

What may work better…

Thank you

Questions/Comments?

Naturalized exposure ?

Partners/Collaborators

have been

key to program

achievements

PARR RELFRY RELADULT RELWILD USR

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FNP smolt capture weights from various origins

Smolt size declines with captive exposure?

Average output 100k fry (2k smolt /yr)

Production equivalent to ~30 spawnings

30 Spawning = <10% of natural levels (600+ rtns)

30 spawnings require ~30-females + X males.

In 2012, We had 30 females and 8 males return

to the USR by August from adult releases.

Current FRY Program Output Examined

“Naturalized” Exposure??

QUESTIONS or COMMENTS?