Atlantic Salmon Restoration with CRAA
CRAA was the first conservation group to actively work with the MNR to re-establish Atlantic salmon to the Credit River, starting back in the early 1990's. CRAA assisted MNR in 1990-92 in assessing small returns of fish and with adult fish collection. In 1995 CRAA began raising Atlantic salmon from MNR hatcheries for stocking the Credit River. CRAA monitored for returns, although they were very rare throughout the 1993 to 2007 era. CRAA now works as an active partner with MNR, OFAH and many others in the Bring Back the Salmon program that was initiated in 2006.
History of Atlantic Salmon – A native species to the watershed
Atlantic salmon were once so abundant that early settlers used them as fertilizer and pitch forked them out of the river by the boat load. In the 1840's it was recorded that over 300,000 Atlantic salmon were netted around the mouth of the Credit River in one season.
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Other early estimates suggested the salmon run was between 100,000 and 300,000 fish per year in the Credit River. These numbers are almost unfathomable today. In 1827 Reverend McGrath, who started the church at Dundas Street and the Credit, now overlooking Erindale Park, wrote about filling a canoe in July with so many speared salmon that the canoe sank! Yet with dams built, deforestation and over fishing, this once abundant run of salmon was destroyed in mere decades. By the 1865 the Credit had 68 dams on the main stem and countless others on tributaries. Salmon were all but lost. In 1896 Atlantic salmon were officially declared extinct from Lake Ontario and its tributaries. |
About the salmon
The largest Atlantic salmon recorded was 45 pounds from the Salmon River in NY state. Larger fish could likely have occurred, but weighing fish was not common 150-200 years ago. The salmon were land locked based on scale and genetic work done. They spawned in most tributaries of Lake Ontario and grew as adults in Lake Ontario. The salmon were also extremely diversified, with populations reaching the Kawartha area and the Finger Lakes region from Lake Ontario. Atlantic salmon were found as far as Fenelon Falls and Stoney Lake in Ontario, and 170 miles inland through the Oswego River system to the Finger Lakes. The Credit, Humber, Trent, Moira and Salmon River (these last three are Bay of Quinte tributaries) all had notably large runs of salmon prior to European settlement in Ontario. On the New York side the Oswego and Salmon Rivers were noted as their best systems. On the Credit River, the village of Terra Cotta was called Salmonville when it was first settled in the 1830's. Fresh run salmon were recorded as entering major rivers like the Credit and Humber in April and runs continued throughout the spring, summer and fall to November. On the Credit River system it is believed the salmon were able to access the furthest headwaters of the West Credit River, around Hillsburg and the East Credit towards Caledon East.
Egg Strains for the Atlantic salmon program:
Green Lake, Maine was used back in 1989 for the beginning of the MNR stocking program. This was the only year they were used and they produced the first successful returns in 1990. The hatchery in Maine had a disease outbreak and importing eggs was stopped after the first year.
LaHave, NS has been used since 1990 to present day. MNR built a brood stock and has held them at the hatchery ever since. This strain makes up 100% of Ontario's stocking between 1990 and 2007. It is also the vast majority of stocking in 2008 to 2010.
Sebago Lake, Maine was added in 2008, but stocking has been minimal as the hatchery builds its brood stock. In 2011-2012 production of this new strain will jump dramatically as the brood stock are mature enough to provide ample eggs.
Lac St Jean, Quebec was added in 2008, but stocking has been minimal as the hatchery builds its brood stock. In 2011-2012 production of this new strain will jump dramatically as the brood stock are mature enough to provide ample eggs.
New York State DEC stock Little Clear Lake strain salmon. This strain is a mixture of Sebago Lake, Grand Lake and Gullspang (Sweden) land locked salmon.
Details on stocking sites, strains and size can be obtained from the MNR at:
http://www.glfc.org/lakecom/loc/mgmt_unit/index.html
Present Day Reintroductions
MNR began stocking Atlantic salmon in 1989 with 30,000 yearlings released into the Credit River. In 1990 a small run of grilse (50-100) returned. In 1991 a few grilse and 2 lake year salmon returned weighing up to 10 pounds.
| Following 1991, very, very few salmon were caught or reported. MNR changed direction to study juvenile interactions and survival and changed to fry stocking. Fast forward to 2006 when OFAH partnered with MNR and Banrock Wines to boost the program. Stocking was increased and new egg sources were obtained. From 2006 to 2009 the program only released La Have strain salmon into the Credit River. The two new strains, Sabago Lake and Lac St Jean were both developing as brood stock at the MNR hatchery. Nonetheless, the increased stocking has already shown good signs of success. |
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Stocking numbers are very high at present, but over 90% of the stocking is done with fry and fall fingerlings. Both of these age groups have very low survival to adult hood versus yearling stocking. This is important to understand when reading two million were stocked in the headlines. Returns of adult salmon to the Credit River have been growing, with 49 in 2008, 75 in 2009 and possibly over 200 in 2010. The trend is positive and as fish return they further improve our chances to succeed as the fish adapt through natural selection to the Lake Ontario ecosystem.
CRAA's involvement
CRAA has been extremely important in three key ways to the program. First, CRAA is the lead group for managing and operating the Streetsville fishway (since 1990). CRAA volunteers check the ladder daily when it is open and ensure flows are set and fish are safe. CRAA volunteers work closely with MNR and OFAH to operate, manage and transfer returning adults at present.
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Our second key component has been restoring cold water habitat and migration access for the juvenile and adult salmon. Without millions of dollars in rehabilitation the Credit River would not be in the excellent condition to support salmon that it presently is. CRAA's third key component is our hatchery. CRAA started raising Atlantic salmon in 1995 at our hatchery. We have raised eggs, fry and fish to smolt (post yearling) stage. At present CRAA raises Atlantic salmon fry for an additional year at our hatchery on the banks of the Credit River to smolt stage. Fish in our hatchery imprint on the Credit River and have a higher chance of survival and returning to spawn. |
Reporting your catch
Please report any Atlantic salmon you catch to CRAA, MNR or OFAH. These reports are vital to assist in managing the recovery of the specie. Pleaes remember that Atlantic salmon are closed to fishing and harvest in all rivers along the north shore of Lake Ontario and have special limits in Lake Ontario.
Links of Interest:
http://www.bringbackthesalmon.ca
http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca
http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca
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