Merrimack Atlantic Salmon returns up

[Onshore]

New Hampshire's Merrimack River has had a remarkable return of more than 400 Atlantic salmon this year, the highest number since the 1980s according to a report by the Atlantic Salmon Federation. Any report on returns to the Connecticut?

Bill Hubbard

[Cheju]

The returns to the Connecticut for 2011 were 108 against 51 for 2010, 76 in 2009 and 141 in 2008.

Restoring a fish that has been made extinct over 200 years previously is a massive undertaking.

Cheju

[DAQ]

A massive undertaking, and waste of time and money.

[DAQ]

Spoken like a true idiot. Nice job chief.

Nah, only an idiot would think it is a good idea to waste tons of money and time to stock Atlantic salmon into rivers that are no longer salmon friendly habitat. An idiot might also think that, after stocking hundreds of thousands to millions of salmon fry a year, a couple hundred fish returning is worth the investment.

That same person probably thinks it’s great that the majority of fish that make it to the ocean are netted in the North Atlantic. Yeah, it’s a great thing our money is being used to subsidize the commercial fleet in the North Atlantic.

(#$119)

[BOBUP]

I heard 94 passed in the Saco (from my last night's memory - not too reliable.) I have to mention - from fishing in Maine and stocking fry for 15 years on the Conneticut - that a lot of other fish are using the fishways (ladders, etc.) Shad and sea run trout on the coast, big rainbows and browns inland. Beats giving that money to a bunch of Afghani crooks.

[crashfromboston]

As much as i would love to see the atlantic salmon return i think
if the fish and wild life would spend the money removing all
the dams and letting the rivers go back to their wild states it
would clean out the rivers enough to let the salmon thrive.
Let the rivers run fast and cold like they used to. Then try to reintroduce
salmon.

[Onshore]

As much as i would love to see the atlantic salmon return i think if the fish and wild life would spend the money removing all
the dams and letting the rivers go back to their wild states it
would clean out the rivers enough to let the salmon thrive.
Let the rivers run fast and cold like they used to. Then try to reintroduce salmon.

As one who worked to remove several dams in New Hampshire, I can assure you that no single state or federal agency has the money to do the job. Every dam we replaced while I was on the committee, and many since, received funding of multiple agencies. In this economy, none of them have funds to do it.

Bill

[m1tchman]

Not sure if you guys saw this story, but Maine had over 3,100 salmon return this year in the Penobscot River! I think for one think we need to continue our efforts in both stocking and improving river & estuary habitat by removing dams, reducing runoff, etc. We can't really control what happens in the North Atlantic, but it doesn't mean we should give up.

Story here: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/27/science/a-strong-year-for-spawning-salmon-in-maines-rivers.html?_r=1&src=tp&smid=fb-share

[jewmont3]

I worked on the Massachusetts Atlantic restoration program for a few years. I helped run the Fishway at the DSI dam on the Westfield river. I will keep my opinions of this project to myself but as for the removal of the dams... First off most are privately owned and can not just be taken away by the state or federal government. Second when you remove a dam you destroy other organisms habitat that has developed there for quite a long period of time. Mass fish and wildlife gets grants for this project from the federal government. The returning salmon are trapped and put in holding tanks on site. U.S. Fish and wildlife are called to come pick them up. These salmon are then spawned out manually for the next batch of fish to be put into the river. They are never put back into the system once they have been in captivity. They are used as many times as possible for spawning until they die.

Thanks,
Mike

[Onshore]

I was on the Merrimack restoration's advisory board when Broodstock Salmon first were made available to the cooperating states. The Federal hatchery declares the females surplus after their third or forth year of spawning in the hatcheries. They are given to the states. On the Merrimack, New Hampshire chose to return their share of fish to that river for anglers to fish for them. There is evidence that some of them will continue to spawn but it provides for a very popular fishery between Concord and the Headwaters each year. It is still a very popular program.

At that time, Mass chose not to put the fish in the Merrimack river but, to stock ponds with them.

I assume the Connecticut restoration program operates the same manner. I know Vermont took their share and stocked the White River with them. I don't know what Conn and Mass do with theirs

Bill H

[Cheju]

Connecticut uses the spawned out brood stock to stock several rivers in that State. They have developed a very nice fishery over the years.

Lets not forget Rhode Island. The DEM has been running a restoration program on the Wood/Pawcatuck for about 10 years. They stock ponds in the State with spawned out brood stock from RI and MA.

The big intangible benefit of the Atlantic salmon restoration in New England is the many " School Programs" it supports. This is where 200 eyed eggs are delivered to a school in January and the students raise them to the fry stage and stock them in the tributaries in the spring. It doesn't create a lot of returning salmon but it does educate a bunch of kids about Atlantic salmon, conservation and mathematics.

In 2011 about 300schools in CT, MA, RI, VT, and NH participated. About 8000 students were involved. The program was started under the auspices of the ASF in 1993 and is run by the USA Fish and Game for the Merrimac, the RIDEM for RI and in the remaining state the Connecticut River Salmon Assn. is deeply involved.

Cheju

[jewmont3]

when I worked there back in 05-07 we were told that the Atlantics were not released because they are given shots of antibiotics at the hatchery and they did not want them back in the system. Maybe they meant just not back into the river system and it was OK for ponds and rivers that did not lead to the ocean?

[Cheju]

That is right. They don't want the brood stock returning to the ocean and entering the feed at sea - return to natal streams- spawn - cycle.

In CT they release them into two rivers above dams that block their return to the sea. The same with the Merrimac in NH, the release for sport fishing is above dams that prevent their return to sea.

In MA, RI and VT they are released into ponds. Same results

As I recall, there are about 5000 Atlantic's released every year for fishing.
A good sports program.

Before they used to give them to prisons for inmate meals. When they learned that most of the fish ended up on prison employee tables, they established the sports fishing program.

Cheju

[Onshore]

NH releases them into the Merimack/Pemigewasset. At least in NH and CT anglers get to fish over them in streams which is where they belong.