Canada. F isbcries Service Maritimes Region. R csource Development Branch MANUSCRIPT REPORT I+ Environment Canada Environnement Canada RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT BRANCH .. " ' IÎÏI ~ Îl ~l Ïl\ij fü1imÎ l~I Îl \ i1 li~ ~Î~Ïil l I 'J 09093266 A Preliminary Investigation of the Striped Bass, Roccus saxatilis, Fishery Resource in the Annapolis River System, and the General Distribution of Striped Bass in Other Areas in Southwestern Nova Scotia by G. H. PENNEY FOR REFERENCE USE ONL Y DO NOT REMOvt FROM LIBRARY f h~trlts Stnlct 11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 Hallfa1, N.S. 1l7d.- Restricted MANUSCRIPT REPORT No. 73- 4 A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION OF THE STRIPED BASS, Roccus saxatilis ~ FISHERY RESOURCE IN THE ANNAPOLIS RIVER SYSTEM, AND THE GENERAL DISTRIBUTION OF STRIPED BASS IN OTHER AREAS IN SOUTHWESTERN NOVA SCOTIA BY G.H. PENNEY Restricted A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION OF THE STRIPED BASS, Roccus s axatilis , FISHERY RESOURCE IN THE ANNAPOLIS RIVER SYSTEM, AND THE GENERAL DISTRIBUTION OF STRIPED BASS IN OTHER AREAS IN SOUTHWESTERN NOVA SCOTIA BY G.H. PENNEY DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT FISHERIES SERVICE RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT BRANCH HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA MARCH, 1973. CONTENTS PAGE INTRODUCTION . • . • . • . • . • . • 1 METHODS 8 RESULTS 10 (a) Angling Statistics (1951-1972)-Annapolis River system . ....................................... 10 (b) Length, Weight, Sex, and Age of Striped Bass sampled from the Annapolis River in 1972 .....• 12 (c) Residence Distribution of Anglers from which Samples were obtained ........................ 16 (d) Angling Pressure for Striped Bass during June, July, and August, 1972, at the Annapolis 18 Causeway ..............•....................... (e) General Distribution and Abundance of Striped Bass in Other Areas in Southwestern Nova 20 Scotia ....................................... DISCUSSION - RECOMMENDATIONS ........................ 25 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT S .................................... 34 35 REFERENCES .....................................•..... INTRODUCTION Life History and Habits of the Striped Bass Spawning: The striped bass, Roccus saxati lis (Walbaum) is anadromous, and ascendes Canadian rivers such as the Annapolis, Miramichi, Saint John, St. Lawrence, and Shubenacadie; from brackish or salt waters in early June and deposit their eggs near the head of tide. The eggs sink in quiet water but are easily swept along by water currents, since they are almost buoyant. They hatch in three days at 58-60°F and in 2 days at 67°F. Female striped bass reach maturity at 4-5 years of age and males somewhat earlier. Striped bass spawn more than once but not necessarily every year. (Leim and Scott, 1966). Mansueti (1955) describes the spawning act in which a single female is surrounded by a few to several dozen males. The number of eggs produced by each f emale varies with size; a three pound female producing about 15,000 eggs while a 50 pound female ma y produce about 5,000,000 eggs (Mansueti, 1955). Size and Distribution: Merriman (1941) found that striped bass most comrnonly taken on the Atlantic coast by commercial and sport fishermen, vary in size from less than one pound to about 10 pounds in weight. Individuals up to 25-30 pounds, however, are b y no means rare, and not infrequently bass up to 50-60 pounds are caught. Several weighing 125 pounds were caught near Edenton, North Carolina, in 1891. The striped bass is indige nous to the Atlantic coast of - 2 - North America, and ranges froro Florida to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and is rnost cornrnon from North Carolina to Massachus­ etts. The striped bass was introduced on the Pacifie coast, where its centre of abundance is the San Francisco Bay Region, and the extreme limits of its distribution are Los Angeles County, California, and the Columbia River (Merriman, 1941). Leim and Scott (1966) in their outline of striped bass distribut­ ion in Canada state that it is not found north of the Laurentian Channel. Movernent: Raney (1958) in his description of the striped bass states that newly hatched fish live in open water, but when they are about one-half inch long, scho~ls of them move inshore, where they stay at least through their first summer. During their second summer, when they are more than six inches long, they school in the rivers or move down into the bays or sounds. Leim and Scott (1966) describe the striped bass as being coastal in its habitat, and it is seldom found more than a few miles from shore, except during spring and fall migration. Merriman (1941) found that the presence of young fry and srnall striped bass in brackish waters of large rivers on the Atlantic coast, and the absence of juvenile and young bass along the outer coast, indicated that striped bass do not undertake coastal migration until they are about tw~years-old. Pearson (1938) broadly classifies the movement of striped bass as being coastal, sea sonal and spawning. Feeding: Leim and Scott (1966) describe the striped bass as a voracious feeder. In the sea it eats a wide variety of small - 3 - fishes such as alewives, herring, smelt, eels, flounders, nwnmichogs, rock eels, sand lance, silver hake, and silversides, and feeds on invertebrates including squid, crabs, sea worms, and arnphipods. Immature specirnens in Minas Basin were found to feed largely on the sand shrimp. Leim and Scott (1966) also report that in Shubenacadie Lake , Nova Scotia, where the stripe bass are in freshwater, they eat insect larvae, young alewives, elvers, and yellow perch. Recent correspondence originating frorn the Annapolis District Board of Trade has shown concern that there is no closed season orother restrictions, to protect what they believe to be a declining run of striped bass to the Annapolis River. At present, the striped bass angling season is open year-round in the Annapolis River, as well as the rernainder of the Province of Nova Scotia, and there are no size or bag lirnits. The Conservation and Protection Branch of the Fisheries Service have, however, reported significant increases in recent years of the nurnbers of striped bass angled in the Annapolis River. They report an average of 44,661 fish angled each year for the years 1969 to 1972 inclusive, as compared to an average of 3,895 fish per year for the previous 18 year average. The Annapolis River originates in Kings County and f lows through Kings and Annapolis Counties for a distance of about 50 miles. The river empties into the Annapolis Basin at - 4 - Annapolis Royal, and the basin in turn empties into the Bay of Fundy through the Digby Gut. Head of tide is located in the Paradise area, and is about 20 miles upstream from Annapolis Royal. The largest tributaries are found on the south side of the Annapolis River, and the largest of these; the Allain (Lequille) and Nictaun Rivers have hydro-electric developments on them. In 1958 to 1960, the Maritime Marshland Rehabilitation Administration of the Nova Scotia Department of Aqrir.ulture in conjunction with the Nova Scotia Department of Highways, constructed an aboideau on the Annapolis River, which was built both for the purpose of reclaiming marshland for agricultural use and to act as a highway bridge. The aboideau is located at Annapolis Royal, and built into it are two water level control gates; each 10 feet wide and 24 feet high. At least one of these gates is partially or full y open at all times, which ' permits free passage of f ish in either direction (Smith and Coates, 1960). The Allain and Nictaux River hydro-electric dams do not contain fishways, and therefore, fish cannot ascend these streams from the Annapolis River. Figure 1 outlines the Annapolis system. Because of the concern expressed by the Annapolis District Board of Trade, and because of our lack of biological information on striped bass in eastern Canada, some data was collected during the surnrner and autumn of 1972, to obtain an indication of the composition of the str iped bass run to the Annapolis River. Size, sex, and age were determined for fish submitted - 5 - by anglers. Observations were made on angling pressure, and in- formation was obtained on the residence location of successful anglers. Sorne of their comments and views on the general status of striped bass angling and regulations were noted. Commercial catches of striped bass in the Annapolis River area have been recorded only occasionally, as most commercially caught bass are taken inadvertently while f ishing for other species; especially those taken while commercial herring weirs are being operated. Figure 2 shows the approximate locations of commercial herring weirs in the Annapolis Basin and adjacent areas in the Bay of Fundy. The southwestern portion of Nova Scotia is surrounded by Atlantic Ocean and Bay of Fundy waters. Because of the large numbers of striped bass found in the Annapolis River system, available angling statistics and commercial catch records were compiled for other areas in southwestern Nova Scotia, to provide information on the general distribution and abundance of striped bass there. Wlltenlille J FIGURE 1 . OUTLINE OF ANNAPOLIS RIVER SYSTF~. BAY OF FUN DY FIGURE 2. LOCATIONS OF COIPERCIAL HERRING llEIRS IN T1E ANNAPOLI S BAS 1N AHD 1N ADJACENT AREAS OF THE BAY OF FU!IOY. ANNAPOLIS BASIN R $? R 9 ~ 9 9 Commercial Herring Weirs - 8 - METHODS To obtain an indication of the magnitude of the striped bass sport and commercial f ishery in the Annapolis River system in particular, and in other rivers or areas in southwestern Nova Scotia in general, available angling figures as reported by staff of the Conservation and Protection Branch each year f rom 1951 to 1972, were surnmarized. Records of commercial catches of striped bass were also obtained. The principal method of data collection in the Annapolis River during the 1972 field season (June-November) was by requesting anglers to submit their catches for length, weight, sex, and age determinations.