Fisheries Pêches and Oceans et Océans DFO Science Maritimes Region Stock Status Report D3-01(1998) Atlantic Salmon Chaleur Bay SFA 15 Background Salmon Fishing Area (SFA) 15 includes northern New Brunswick; major rivers are the Restigouche, Nepisiguit and Jacquet. Juvenile salmon generally remain in fresh water for Summary two to three years. Adult stages consist of small salmon (fork length <63 cm) and large salmon (fork • Large salmon returns did not meet length ≥ 63 cm). Most small salmon spend one year at sea before returning to spawn. Most large salmon conservation requirements in the returning to the Nepisiguit and Jacquet rivers have Restigouche, Nepisiguit and Jacquet spent two years at sea. The Restigouche River stock rivers in 1997 and spawning escapements has components of both two- and three-sea-winter were below requirements by 35-50%. fish. Small salmon returns were average or Most large salmon are female. Small salmon in the below average. Restigouche River are >98% male. • The outlook for large salmon returns to these rivers in 1998 is uncertain. On the The Restigouche stock is early-run, with most basis of average small salmon returns in returns in June and July. Most other rivers of SFA 1997, large salmon returns to the 15 have a later run, primarily in September- Restigouche River in 1998 may return to October. The early run on the Nepisiguit River has been enhanced through stocking. average levels, but returns to this river have fluctuated widely in recent years. Salmon are angled as “bright” fish, i.e., salmon on The Nepisiguit River stock has been low their way to the spawning grounds, and/or “kelts” or for several years and is not expected to “black salmon”, i.e., salmon which have already change in 1998. The Jacquet River stock spawned. appears to be declining. Large salmon Conservation requirements are established based on should not be exploited in the Nepisiguit an average egg deposition of 2.4 eggs per square and Jacquet rivers and the level of metre of available habitat. Biological exploitation in the Restigouche River characteristics of each salmon stock (e.g., sex ratio, should not be increased. size, egg production) are used to determine the • number of fish required to produce these eggs in A surplus of small salmon is expected in each river. all three rivers in 1998. March 1998 Maritimes Region Atlantic Salmon Chaleur Bay SFA 15 The Fishery River Salmon harvest Large Small Aboriginal and recreational fisheries Restigouche 1151 44 Nepisiguit 0 85 occurred in all three major rivers. Four First Jacquet 0 0 Nations and the New Brunswick Aboriginal Total SFA 15 1151 129 Peoples Council had fishery agreements in 1997 with DFO or with the Québec Recreational angling catches were low in 1997 Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Faune, in both the Restigouche and Nepisiguit rivers. but not all fished. Gillnets and angling gear No angling data were available for the Jacquet were used. River. Recreational angling in New Brunswick River Bright salmon catch (including provincial boundary waters of the (C=retained+released) or harvest Restigouche River) was regulated by (H=retained) 1997 1996 Mean seasonal (eight salmon) and daily (two 1992-96 salmon) limits, with no retention of large RESTIGOUCHE salmon. Québec waters of the Restigouche Large C 2649 3823 3401 system were regulated by seasonal (seven H 729 1001 870 salmon) and daily (one salmon) limits Small C 3408 3574 3604 irrespective of size; but if the first fish caught H 3079 3384 3566 NEPISIGUIT in a day was a small salmon, a second fish of Large C 300 420 300 any size could be caught and retained. Small C 250 580 633 Angling of “bright” salmon was permitted in H 200 450 488 all rivers of SFA 15. All except the Nepisiguit had spring angling seasons for Small and large salmon catches have declined kelts. This was the first year since 1973 in since 1986-1988 in the Restigouche River. which a kelt fishery was permitted in the Restigouche Restigouche system. 7000 6000 River Angling season RESTIGOUCHE:Main May 15-Sept. 30 (hook- 5000 river, N.B. tributaries and-release only before 4000 June 1 and after Aug. 31); 3000 Upsalquitch closed to all 2000 fishing from Sept. 10 1000 Matapedia June 1-Sept. 30 (hook-and- 0 release only for large Angling catch/Captures sportives 70 72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 salmon after Aug. 31) Year/Année Patapedia (Qué.) June 1-Aug. 31 Large/Grands Small/Petits Kedgwick (Qué.) June 1-Sept. 30 NEPISIGUIT June 1-Oct. 15 Angling catches of both large and small JACQUET Apr.15-Oct. 26; above Half-way Pool, June 1-Oct. salmon in the Nepisiguit River have declined 15 since 1988. Harvests by Natives in 1997 were estimated as 1,151 large and 129 small salmon. 2 Maritimes Region Atlantic Salmon Chaleur Bay SFA 15 Nepisiguit Large Small % of salmon salmon conservation 1400 RESTIGOUCHE 1200 Cons. req. 12,200 2,600 1000 Returns 7,447- 7,944- 800 11,652 13,227 600 Spawners 4,317- 3,691- 400 7,849 8,235 200 Eggs 25.9-47.3 million 35-64% 0 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 NEPISIGUIT Angling catch/Captures sportives Year/Année Cons. req. 1626 823 Large/Grands Small/Petits Eggs 50-60% JACQUET Resource Status Cons. req. 571 347 Returns 282 371 Restigouche River: Spawning escapement Spawners 270 304 was estimated as angling catch divided by Eggs 1.9 million 51% angling exploitation rate, minus removals that occurred in the river (e.g., fishery Restigouche - EGGS/OEUFS harvests, broodstock collections, assumed 160 losses due to poaching and disease). Angling 140 exploitation rate (ER) was assumed to be 30 120 to 50%. 100 80 60 This angling-based assessment method 40 estimated that egg deposition and large 20 Requirement/besoin (%) 0 salmon escapement were about 35-64% of 70 72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 the conservation requirement. Visual counts Year/Année by divers indicated that large salmon ER=0.3 ER=0.5 escapement was at least 50% of requirement and support the conclusion that small salmon Nepisiguit River: Stock assessments of spawning escapement was in excess of the previous years were based on counts at the requirement. Returns to counting fences on fence operated by Pabineau First Nation and the Matapedia and Upsalquitch rivers were Nepisiguit Salmon Association in 36-38% below the five-year mean return of collaboration with DFO, adjusted for fence large salmon but only 5% below the mean of efficiency using angling catch above the small salmon. Total returns of large salmon fence. Spawning escapement was to the river did not exceed the conservation extrapolated to the whole river based on the requirement. ratio of the number of redds above and below the fence. Due to problems in operation of the counting fence in 1997, and an extremely late arrival of much of the spawning run, assessment of the stock in 1997 was based solely on redd counts. 3 Maritimes Region Atlantic Salmon Chaleur Bay SFA 15 Redd counts were similar to those in 1996 Jacquet - EGGS/OEUFS and about 20% lower than those in 1994- 100 1995. Egg deposition was estimated as 50- 80 60% of the conservation requirement. Both 60 returns and spawning escapement of large salmon in 1994-1996 were well below the 40 required spawning escapement. Returns of 20 small salmon in 1994-1996 exceeded Requirement/besoin (%) 0 spawning requirements but spawning 94 95 96 97 Year/Année escapement after fisheries was below the requirement. Conservation requirements Environmental Considerations have not been met since 1988. Summer and autumn water levels in rivers of 160 Nepisiguit - EGGS/OEUFS SFA 15 were low but water temperatures 140 rarely exceeded 20°C at counting fences. 120 Furunculosis, which was common in the 100 Restigouche River in conditions of low 80 water levels and high temperatures in 1995, 60 was rarely observed in 1997. The first case 40 of furunculosis was confirmed in the Jacquet Requirement/besoin (%) 20 River. 0 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 Year/Année Outlook Jacquet River: The stock assessment was Average 2-sea-winter salmon returns to the based on returns to the barrier fence Restigouche River in 1998 may be expected operated by the municipality of Belledune in based on: (1) a significant correlation of collaboration with the New Brunswick small salmon returns in one year to large Department of Natural Resources and salmon returns in the following year in the Energy. Estimated angling mortality on Matapedia River, and (2) average small bright fish and broodstock removals were salmon returns to the Restigouche River in subtracted from fence returns to obtain 1997. However, this expectation must be spawning escapement. Revised habitat areas regarded with caution given the low returns (increased by 39%) were used to update the of large salmon in the Restigouche system in conservation requirements. 1997 and currently low levels of marine survival. Egg depositions from the spawning escapement of large and small salmon were The Nepisiguit River stock has met 50-60% estimated as 51% of requirement. This is the of conservation requirements for the past second consecutive year in which egg four years, and there is no expectation of deposition requirements have not been met change in the near future. and continues the decline from 1994. Returns of small salmon exceeded Densities of all age classes of juvenile salmon requirements but large salmon were fewer have increased in both the Restigouche and than requirements. Nepisiguit rivers in the past decade.