By: Pete Warner
September 6, 2023
Bangor Daily News
The Atlantic Salmon Federation wants answers after removing 46 escaped aquaculture salmon from the Magaguadavic River in New Brunswick since Aug. 1.
Farmed fish pose a serious threat to wild Atlantic salmon in the Bay of Fundy and the Gulf of Maine, the organization said. The two types of fish have significant genetic differences, and with spawning season nearing it is of particular concern. The breeding of farmed fish with wild salmon can result in weaker wild stock.
Atlantic Salmon Federation biologist Heather Perry holds a large escaped aquaculture salmon removed from the Magaguadavic River fishway in August. Credit: Courtesy of Cailie Fernie / Atlantic Salmon Federation
“We have reported our discoveries to officials in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, but we haven’t received any information about what, if anything, they are doing to protect wild salmon from these escapes,” said Jonathan Carr, ASF’s vice president of research and environment.
Some of the aquaculture salmon may have come from two Cooke Aquaculture sites — Davidson’s Head near Deer Island and Long Pond near Grand Manan Island. According to the ASF, Cooke Aquaculture officials have confirmed two escape events occurred, both related to nets being compromised by seals.
The company said the breeches were reported to regulators on Aug. 25, Aug. 30 and Aug. 31.
Escaped Atlantic salmon from 2023 caught at the Magaguadavic River fishway in New Brunswick are removed, tagged and brought to Atlantic Salmon Federation headquarters to sample for viruses, parasites, and bacteria. Credit: Ellen Mansfield / Atlantic Salmon Federation Credit: Courtesy of Ellen Mansfield / Atlantic Salmon Federation
ASF researchers were able to capture the fish at the Magaguadavic River fishway, including 10 on Tuesday. It’s unclear where some of the farmed fish came from because they were captured as early as Aug. 1, prior to the known escapes.
Despite another escape of some 50,000 small Atlantic salmon from a Cooke Aquaculture cage in early August, which also was attributed to seals, they were not among the fish taken from the Magaguadavic fishway. ASF is able to identify aquaculture escapees by their appearance (those fish were quite small) and through scale samples. That escape involved small salmon weighing less than a pound.
The ASF said most of the fish it has captured this year were females, weighing 2 to 22 pounds, and some had a lot of eggs.
Mowi, the only other company with salmon aquaculture operations in the Bay of Fundy, has not reported any escapes at its installations.
“If we’re picking up fish in the Magaguadavic, it’s almost certain there are many, many more out there headed for places like the Hammond, Nashwaak, Upper Salmon and dozens of other rivers nearby,” Carr said.
The Atlantic Salmon Federation’s efforts to monitor the Magaguadavic fishway for commercially produced fish began in 1992. However, most escaped fish recovered were not attributable to known aquaculture breeches.
Since 2012, ASF has captured only 33 native Atlantic salmon but has handled 386 escaped aquaculture salmon at Magaguadavic.
There are significant genetic differences between wild Atlantic salmon and their commercial counterparts, the latter of which have been bred, including being crossed with European strains.
ASF said importing and releasing nonnative fish is prohibited under Canadian law. In part, that is because aquaculture salmon can breed with native fish, which leads to less hardy fish that contribute to the decline of wild Atlantic salmon.
“These are genetic pollutants that have long-lasting, negative effects on wild salmon and whole ecosystems,” said Andrew Clarke, ASF’s director of conservation campaigns. “The lack of follow-up action and accountability is evidence that governments choose to turn a blind eye, even when affected populations are listed under Canada’s Species at Risk Act, like inner Bay of Fundy Atlantic salmon.”