Atl.Salmon, Shad, River Herring Returns to Merrimack River

[Onshore]

Atlantic Salmon, Shad, River Herring Returns to Merrimack River

Here is a link to this year's returns to date for the Merrimack River which are very disapointing in each category. Scroll down for year-by-year return comparison.

While I supported the restoration from it's inception and served a number of years on its' Policy Advisory Committee; I think it's time for reconsideration of the whole issue. I think the question now has to be; just how long the federal and state governments is going to dump an annual budget of millions of $ into an Atlantic Salmon and Shad restoration that has yet to be successful after 26 years of effort.


http://www.fws.gov/r5cneafp/returns.htm

[Kernel]

Yeah. Pretty futile. :confused:

I once took a tour of the Salmon hatchery in White River Junction Vermont. Very state-of-the-art facility.

As I recall, they handle some 7 Million salmon eggs a year only to get less than a couple dozen individuals returning.

I know it isn't the same but maybe it would be more worthwhile to stock more of them in lakes rather than the rivers leading to the ocean.

Maybe then NH could liberalize their salmon regs some.

[Fish Farmer]

I recently moved back to MA after living up by the Penobscot for 7 years. I became interested in the restoration effort while there and so began to follow it.
I see four major obstacles still remaining that aren't likely to change anytime soon:
1. Dams, the original culprit for blocking passage to cooler headwaters. With our outcry for clean power their removal would certainly create hot debate.

2. Increase in average river temps throughout New England. Does not bode well for juveniles prior to smolting. Reduces potential nursery areas generally to a few spring holes. The dams contribute to the temp increase as well by slowing the rivers velocity and creating warm shallow flats (that once were flood banks). Unfortunately most of our dams are relatively shallow (<50ft) and do not create cool tailwaters

3. Decreasing pH in freshwater. Reduces egg hatch rates.

4. Introduced predators. The Merrimac, and every other major NE river, had exotic predators introduced. Both LM bass and SM bass are likely the greatest threat given their tremendous numbers and voracious feeding habits. Couple pike walleye, muskies and others into the mix and it does not look good.

What happens to them at sea is anyones guess. :confused: Lots of theories but no conclusive proof. Hundreds of thousands of fish released with perhaps 2000 fish returning each year total to NE waters.

The restoration effort is the only thing keeping them from extinction in the US. However, I thinks it is time to abandon this since it is only a facade anyhow.

Would love to learn something new if anyone is up for adding their $0.02.