Obstacles to Salmon Recovery in the Magaguadavic River Jonathan Carr

One step forward two steps back: Obstacles to salmon recovery in the Magaguadavic River Jonathan Carr

Wild Salmon Recovery Workshop September 18, 2013 Chamcook, NB

Number Salmon 1000 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 0 Wild to Salmon Returns Atlantic

1983 940

1984 767

1985 638

1988 687 Magaguadavic River Magaguadavic 1992 293

1993 237

1994 131

1995 79

1996 69

1997 59

1998 31

1999 24

2000 14

2001 17

2002 7

2003 6

2004 2

2005 9

2006 27

2007 4

2008 4

2009 6

2010 12

2011 19

2012 1 Magaguadavic River Salmon Recovery Group

•Angling Groups •Conservation Groups •Government Agencies •Aquaculture Industry •Private Industry

Goal:

Protect and Restore Wild Salmon Population in the Magaguadavic River

Magaguadavic Salmon Recovery Program

1998 • 4 males • 3 females Captive Rearing Program

• Pit Tag and Tissue sampling

• Donor Stocks – Black River 2003, 2004 – Nashwaak River: 2004, 2006, 2007

• Annual Mating Plans

Release Strategies

Year Fry Parr Smolt Adult

2002 30,000 99 2003 25,856 7,336 2004 24,861 8,434 1,706 2005 6,665 2,000 904 2006 924 2007 89,000 700 38 2008 75,000 6,700 1600 15 2009 147,000 812 30 2010 204,000

Stocking Summary Stocking 2011 310,000 732 2012 140000 9778 263 Captive-Reared Adult Releases

Objectives • Movement rates and destinations – Seawater vs. freshwater No differences – Early vs. late release groups • Contributions to salmon production Minimal

Carr, J.W., Whoriskey, F.G. & O’Reilly, P 2004. Efficacy of releasing captive reared broodstock into an imperilled wild Atlantic salmon population as a recovery strategy. Journal of Fish Biology 65(Supplement A): 38-54.

Year Fry Parr Smolt Adult

2002 30,000 99 2003 25,856 7,336 2004 24,861 8,434 1,706 2005 6,665 2,000 904 2006 924 2007 89,000 700 38 2008 75,000 6,700 1600 15 2009 147,000 812 30 2010 204,000

Stocking Summary Stocking 2011 310,000 732 2012 140000 9778 263 Genetic Analysis of Adult Returns

Year Adult Live Gene Wild Unknown Return Bank Fry Parr 2005 9 1 3 1 4 2006 27 9 5 7 6 2007 4 2 0 2 0 2008 4 0 0 0 4 2009 6 0 1 0 5 Total 50 13 9 10 18 26% 18% 20% 36% Limiting Factors

•Exotic Species •Hydroelectric Dam •Salmon Aquaculture

Exotic Species

Rainbow Trout

Smallmouth Bass Largemouth Bass Chain Pickerel

Please visit http://nbaquaticinvasives.ca Smallmouth Bass Summary

• Bass found at 55% of sites over 15 years • Co-occurred with salmon at 36% of sites • Bass found throughout main stem reaches • In tributaries: bass found near lakes, reservoir, river’s main stem • YOY bass dominated sample sites • Larger bass in main stem and near hatcheries

Carr, J.W. & Whoriskey, F.G. 2009. Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) and Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu) Interactions in the Magaguadavic River, New Brunswick. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2009/074. Iv + 10pp. Smallmouth Bass

• Bass found at head of tide dam – Displaced at times of high water • Bass co-occurred with salmon smolts – Predation threat???

How do address potential impacts? A. Stock larger parr in riffle areas to displace bass B. Avoid stocking juvenile salmon in bass occupied zones

Please visit http://nbaquaticinvasives.ca Fish Passage Issues

Prior to Upgrade •4 Francis Turbines •3.7 MW capacity

•Upstream fish passage unchanged

After upgrade •2 Kaplan Turbines •15 MW capacity •New downstream fish passage • Migration delays • Poor Efficiency of downstream bypass • High turbine mortality Dam Passage Summary

Species No. Lost Via Via Turbine at Bypass Turbine Mortality dam

Smolt 05s 55 31% 0% 69% 29%

Kelt 07 08s 27 0 15% 75% 70%

Eel 06s 25 0 16% 76% 100%

Alewife 07s 13 38% 0% 62% 58%

Carr, J.W. & Whoriskey, F.G. 2008. Migration of silver American eels past a hydroelectric dam and through a coastal zone. Fish. Manag. Ecol. 15: 393-400.

Salmon Aquaculture Wild vs Escaped Aquaculture Salmon Magaguadavic River 1200 712

300 293 wild

250 237 240 aquaculture 222

148

200 154

150 131 130

Number 119

100 90 79 69 69 59 50 30 35 27 31 23 16 24 17 276 17 5 7 19 17 19 14 12 7 9 6 2 4 4 6 2

2001 2011 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2012 Leakage from Hatcheries •Fry and parr •Smolts

Salmon Aquaculture Impacts

•Competition •Diseases •Parasites •Genetic Introgression

Bourett, V, O’Reilly, P.T, Carr, J.W, Berg, P.R & Bertatchez, L. 2011. Temporal change in genetic integrity suggest loss of local adaptation in a wild Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) population following genetic introgression by farmed escapees. Heredity 106:500-510.

Multi River Approach

•Three Donor Rivers •Nashwaak •Canaan •Hammond

Acknowledgements

• New Brunswick Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture, and Fisheries • New Brunswick Total Development Fund • Olin Foundation • Canaan River Fish & Game Association • Field and Office Staff

Land base Aquaculture

• Research suggests that land-based closed- containment systems for Atlantic salmon are: – technically viable

– biologically feasible, and

– economically sustainable at 3000 ton/yr scale

• pilot and commercial-scale projects must demonstrate economic viability Dam Delays

Species Passage on 1st Multiple approaches approach No. % (No.) Median No. Median Hours at dam approaches (range)

Kelt 07 9 25% (3) 4 (4 - 12) 5.1 (0.1 - 91)

Kelt 08 6 60% (9) 10 (2 - 23) 5.4 (0.5 - 61)

Eel 06 16 36% (9) 2 (2 - 4) 0.5 (0.02 – 100)

Alewife 07 9 31% (4) 2 ( 2 - 6) 4 (1 - 202)

Alewife 08 7 59% (10) 4.5 (2 - 9) 2 (1 - 199) Conclusions

•Stocking has not made a difference in salmon recovery efforts •Need to minimize key limiting factors •Need to look at the big picture •Restore diadromous species

Turbine Passage

Species No. Alive Median Dead Median Size (Range) Size (Range) cm cm Smolt 05 38 27 17 (15-20) 29% 17 (15-17)

Kelt 07 08 19 3 49 (40-63) 84% 60 (45-87)

Eel 06 19 0 100% 92 (76-101)

Alewife 07 08 12 5 27 (26-30) 58% 25 (25-27)

Carr, J.W. & Whoriskey, F.G. 2008. Migration of silver American eels past a hydroelectric dam and through a coastal zone. Fish. Manag. Ecol. 15: 393-400.

Dam Passage Summary

Species No. Lost Spill Fway Bypass Turbine at dam

Smolt 05s 55 31% 0 0% 69%

Kelt 07s 15 20% 6.7% 0 6.7% 66.7%

Kelt 08s 12 0 0 0 25% 75%

Eel 06s 25 0 4% 4% 16% 76%

Alewife 07s 13 38% 0 0 0% 62% Smallmouth Bass Objectives 1. Reviewed 15 years of electrofishing data A. Occurrence of bass B. Potential for bass and salmon interactions

2. Reviewed bycatch information from smolt and adult salmon monitoring

Year Adult Live Gene Wild Unknown Return Bank Fry Parr 2005 9 1 3 1 4 2006 27 9 5 7 6 2007 4 2 2 0 2008 4 0 0 0 4 2009 6 1 0 5 Total 50 13 9 10 18 26% 18% 20% 36%

Smolt to Adult Survival DNA Analysis of Adult Returns Adult of Analysis DNA Fry = 1.5% & Parr = 0.2%