Recovery of "Plamu" during International Year of the Salmon

Fundy Salmon Recovery release salmon on the Petitcodiac River

Guardians of tradition, bound by conservation, Fort Folly First Nation and its partners in Fundy Salmon Recovery released over 500 inner Bay of Fundy Atlantic salmon into the blessed waters of the Petitcodiac River today, during International Year of the Salmon (IYS) celebrations.

"Plamu", meaning salmon, is a very important species to the Mi'gmaq and to Fort Folly First Nation. In the heart of their traditional territory, the Petitcodiac River was once home to about 20% of the total inner Bay of Fundy population. In 2003, this population was listed under the Species at Risk Act after witnessing major declines in numbers of returning adults - from 40,000 to the current estimate of 200. The causeway, built in 1968, among the many other ecological shifts of the time, jeopardized this vital species and the traditions it held. When the causeway gates opened in 2010, Fort Folly was confident in taking a leading role in salmon recovery efforts. And now, after years of dedication to species and habitat recovery, as well as, building technical capacity and strong partnerships, the Fort Folly partnership in Fundy Salmon Recovery has become a cornerstone in their work towards ecosystem restoration within the Petitcodiac River system.

During IYS, it is important to look back at the work that has been done to successfully guard this population from extinction. It is also important to look forward and see what still needs to be done in terms of recovery, education and collaboration. This is what IYS is all about. As an initiative by the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization (NASCO), the goal is to raise awareness and take action.

Together the collaborative Fundy Salmon Recovery is looking to change the fate of the inner Bay of Fundy population of Atlantic salmon through their innovative recovery model. The collaboration includes Fort Folly First Nation, Parks Canada, Cooke Aquaculture, Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association, the University of New Brunswick, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Atlantic Salmon Law Enforcement Coalition. Together, they have pioneered the World's First Wild Salmon Marine Conservation Farm on Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick. This is where wild salmon, collected from their native rivers, are grown to maturity and then released back into their native rivers. The goal is that these fish will spawn the next generation of wild salmon, providing their offspring with early exposure to the wild and therefore the best chance of survival as adults.

Quick Facts

• The inner Bay of Fundy population of Atlantic salmon has been listed as endangered under the Species at Risk Act since 2003. In an effort to save this declining population, some of the last remaining wild salmon of Fundy National Park were collected for "live gene banking". This has protected the unique genetic lineage of this population which would have otherwise been lost.
• Fundy Salmon Recovery is working on two inner Bay of Fundy Rivers; the Petitcodiac River system by Fort Folly Habitat Recovery and the Upper Salmon River in Fundy National Park by Parks Canada.
• Wild endangered Atlantic salmon are grown to maturity on the world's first Wild Salmon Marine Conservation Farm at Dark Harbour on Grand Manan Island, NB. Cooke Aquaculture operates and maintains the farm, of which has been provided by the Village of Grand Manan, with operations support from the Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association.
• Salmon are health tested in the rivers and on the conservation farm by the Province of New Brunswick veterinarians with regular monitoring and surveillance by Cooke veterinarians and fish health staff.
• To help ensure the protection of the Atlantic salmon during their freshwater life stage, local law enforcement agencies are working together as part of the Atlantic Salmon Law Enforcement Coalition. Together, the Coalition has increased joint patrols and surveillance on inner Bay of Fundy rivers, especially those in which there are active recovery efforts.
• Salmon and salmon habitat research and monitoring projects led by Fundy Salmon Recovery include: Didson sonar monitoring, Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) River Array, radio telemetry, adult snorkel survey monitoring, wild salmon genetic analysis, juvenile salmon monitoring program, aquatic invertebrate and habitat monitoring, marine nutrient research project, marine smolt survival and citizen science programming.