Fort Folly First Nation is in the spotlight as experts in Indigenous-led conservation. Fort Folly released over 800 endangered inner Bay of Fundy Atlantic salmon into the Petitcodiac River watershed today as part of the Fundy Salmon Recovery program's restoration efforts.

The program is known for developing a world-first wild salmon recovery model, which involves capturing young salmon from the wild, rearing them on a marine farm site until maturity, and releasing them back to native rivers to spawn. Over the past five years, this collaboration has advanced marine rearing techniques, developed cutting-edge research, shared knowledge, and increased conservation jobs.

"Plamu," meaning salmon, is vital to the Mi'gmaq and Fort Folly First Nation. The Petitcodiac River, in their traditional territory, once housed about 20% of the inner Bay of Fundy population. Listed under the Species at Risk Act in 2003, the population declined drastically—from 40,000 to 200—due to ecological changes, including the Petitcodiac River causeway construction in 1968. When the causeway gates opened in 2010, Fort Folly took a leading role in recovery efforts. Now, after years of dedication, Fort Folly's role in Fundy Salmon Recovery is crucial to restoring the ecosystem.

Fundy Salmon Recovery involves Fort Folly First Nation, Parks Canada, Cooke Aquaculture, Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association, the University of New Brunswick, and the Province of New Brunswick. Together, they pioneered the World's First Wild Salmon Marine Conservation Farm on Grand Manan Island, where wild salmon, collected as juveniles, are grown to maturity and released back into native rivers to spawn the next generation. This work has led to numbers of naturally spawning Atlantic salmon not seen in decades.

There is a critical importance of recovering this population as it's deeply intertwined in the heritage and culture of the Mi'gmaq people. The recovery of the endangered Atlantic salmon is not only about preserving a species but about reclaiming and sharing our cultural identity, healing historical wounds, and promoting sustainable stewardship of our lands and waters."

Chief Rebecca Knockwood Fort Folly First Nation

This is a memorable day, seeing first-hand what can be achieved when people work together toward a common goal. Seeing aquaculture knowledge and technology used to help pioneer a revolutionary approach to wild Atlantic Salmon recovery is so rewarding, and we are proud to work alongside our many partners to make real change in our river systems."

Susan Farquharson Executive Director of the Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association

Marine salmon farming is the most environmentally sustainable animal production on the planet, with the lowest freshwater use and lowest carbon emissions, and ocean aquaculture technology is allowing us to help address the decline of wild salmon stocks in New Brunswick. It makes perfect sense that we continue to apply our decades of science innovations to successfully manage the world's first wild salmon marine conservation farm in Dark Harbour, Grand Manan Island."

Joel Richardson Vice President of Public Relations, Cooke Aquaculture Inc

The Fundy Salmon Recovery model serves as a conservation tool, has changed the face of Atlantic Salmon restoration, and has resulted in increased wild-hatched juvenile salmon production, increased number of adult salmon returning to spawn, and healthier, more productive rivers. For inner Bay of Fundy rivers, and in particular the Petitcodiac River, it is not about conserving what is left, it is all about rebuilding a lost population. I am so proud to share in these achievements and play a part in this impactful work. We have accomplished many things and the results stand on their own."

Dr Kurt Samways Associate Professor, University of New Brunswick

Fundy National Park is very proud to be actively working alongside Fundy Salmon Recovery partners to monitor and restore our aquatic ecosystems, protect endangered Atlantic salmon, and expand our knowledge of biodiversity in and outside the boundaries of Fundy National Park. The cultures and identities of Indigenous peoples are rooted in these lands and waters. Parks Canada recognizes that honouring the connections to this species, as well as, developing conservation actions based in Indigenous knowledge are important elements for outcomes related to reconciliation and conservation."

Julie M. LeBlanc Field Unit Superintendent, New Brunswick South Field Unit, Parks Canada

I would like to congratulate the Amlamgog First Nation. We are proud to support this important initiative to return native Atlantic salmon to the inner Bay of Fundy. We have worked with many partners to make days like this a reality over the past several years and I look forward to seeing the results of these efforts. Partnerships and creative projects like this are key to the success of the Atlantic salmon."

Margaret Johnson Minister, Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries

I would like to congratulate Fort Folly First Nation and all its collaborators for this monumental release of Plamu/salmon into the Petitcodiac watershed. The province of New Brunswick is proud to be a collaborator as a continuous funder of this initiative through the New Brunswick Wildlife Trust Fund."

Mike Holland Minister, Department of Natural Resources and Energy Development

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 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, 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.
  • Salmon and salmon habitat research and monitoring projects led by Fundy Salmon Recovery include: Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) river arrays, radio telemetry, adult snorkel survey monitoring, wild salmon genetic analysis, juvenile salmon monitoring program, aquatic invertebrate and habitat monitoring, marine derived nutrient research, marine smolt survival, feed regimes and citizen science programming.

Fundy Salmon Recovery

A revolutionary partnership, Fundy Salmon Recovery, is working with academic, First Nations, government, and private industry to raise and release over 800 endangered inner Bay of Fundy Atlantic salmon, aiming for natural spawning in native rivers. The project is based on research showing better survival when salmon experience a wild environment from a young age.

Fundy Salmon Recovery includes six partners: Parks Canada, Cooke Aquaculture, Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association, University of New Brunswick, Province of New Brunswick, and Fort Folly First Nation, working to restore historic salmon populations for future generations.

The Live Gene Bank, based at Fisheries and Oceans Canada's Mactaquac Biodiversity Facility, protects the unique inner Bay of Fundy Atlantic salmon population by collecting juveniles from the wild, maturing them, and spawning them in captivity. The fry from these spawnings are released back to the wild.

Once grown to young salmon (smolts), Fort Folly Habitat Recovery, University of New Brunswick, and Parks Canada retrieve a portion from Fundy National Park rivers and the Petitcodiac watershed. Fundy Salmon Recovery has established the world's first Wild Salmon Conservation Marine Farm on Grand Manan Island to achieve a self-sustaining salmon run. The farm grows collected smolts until maturity using custom-designed aquaculture net pens, the first of their kind, and feeds the salmon specialized diets.

When mature, the salmon are released into rivers where monitoring continues, detecting project salmon movements, wild salmon genetics, and ecosystem health.

Fort Folly First Nation and Fort Folly Habitat Recovery

Fort Folly Habitat Recovery began in 1993, initially focused on local environmental restoration, later expanding in 1998 with the inner Bay of Fundy Atlantic Salmon Recovery Team. The Live Gene Bank was established to prevent extinction. Partnerships with Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Parks Canada have remained strong, evolving into Fundy Salmon Recovery. Fort Folly First Nation is recognized as a global conservation leader, recently presenting before the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization (NASCO).

Contacts

Maegan Burtt
Communications
Fort Folly Habitat Recovery/Fort Folly First Nation
maegan.burtt@ffhr.ca
506-471-6717