Updated 2023-12-19 17:53:38
Lake Ontario -> 2.0 Offshore Pelagic Zone Goal -> Atlantic Salmon
Reporting Interval
2014 - 2019
Area
Meeting Target?
Does Not Meet
Indicator Trend
No trend
Confidence?
Medium
Increasing wild production of Atlantic Salmon in the Salmon River system and increasing returns of wild, mature adults to Beaverdam Brook
NYSDEC and USGS capture mature adult Atlantic Salmon in Beaverdam Brook for the purpose of wild egg collection. In the current reporting period, an average of 23.8 adult Atlantic Salmon were captured, representing a significant increase from the previous reporting period (0.8 fish/year from 2009 to 2013).The number of adults captured increased from 2014 to 2016, where it peaked at 66 before steadily declining to nine adults captured in 2019 (Fig. 1).
Wild parr surveys in Beaverdam Brook conducted by USGS in the current reporting period (2014-2019) have shown the presence of wild Atlantic Salmon parr in 2016 and 2019. Detection of wild Atlantic Salmon parr in these surveys has decreased from the last reporting period, where wild parr were detected four of the five years during the previous reporting period (2009 –2013).Wild Atlantic Salmon parr were also detected in 2019, during annual Chinook young-of-year index seining conducted by NYSDEC.
Figure. 1. The number of adult Atlantic Salmon captured for egg collection in Beaverdam Brook, NY by USGS (2009 –2019).
Methodology
USGS, in collaboration with NYSDEC, annually conduct adult Atlantic Salmon collections during the summer months in Beaverdam Brook, NY to facilitate stocking into Lake Ontario. Fish are captured through electrofishing and netting and crews identify each fish after capture. Captured adults are transported to USGS facilities to hold until they are ready for spawning. Wild parr surveys in Beaverdam Brook are conducted annually by NYSDEC in May and June and by USGS in July. Crews use a seine net to capture fish and subsequently sort and identify each captured fish.
Other Resources
Bishop, D.L., S.P. Prindle, F.J. Verdoliva and M.J. Connerton2020. 2019 Salmon River Wild Young-of-Year Chinook Salmon Seining Program. Section 8In NYSDEC 2019 Annual Report, Bureau of Fisheries, Lake Ontario Unit and St. Lawrence River Unit to the Great Lake Fishery Commission’s Lake Ontario Committee.
Contributing Author(s)
- Michael Yuille - OMNRF
- Michael Connerton - NYDEC
- Marc Chalupnicki - USGS
- Jim McKenna Jr. - USGS
- Scott Prindle - NYDEC