Wild Salmon in the Salmon River Update....full report
here
Sport fishing in Oswego County and Lake Ontario provides a multimillion dollar
economic impact to the local communities along the shoreline. In the summers of
2009 and 2010 naturally reproduced young-of-the-year Atlantic salmon were found in
the Salmon River during research sampling by the United States Geological Survey
and NYSDEC. Natural reproduction of Atlantic salmon had not been documented in
the river since the late 1800s.
Atlantic salmon have been stocked at low levels in the Salmon River since 1996 to
provide a presence of this native species, to provide trophy angling opportunities, and
to continue researching the potential of future restoration. It was believed that Atlantic
salmon in Lake Ontario feeding on a diet of alewives (Alosa pseudoharengus) (a nonnative
forage species which has high concentrations of the enzyme Thiaminase,
resulting in a thiamine [Vitamin B1] deficiency) would cause reproductive failure and
limit the success of restoring the salmon. Recent changes in Lake Ontario’s forage
base, including a significant decrease in alewives, may be creating a more diverse
food source for Atlantic salmon thus increasing their ability to reproduce successfully.
A marked increase of Atlantic salmon catches in Lake Ontario the past two years may
be an indication that Lake Ontario may once again be able to support a viable
naturally reproducing population of this popular sport fish.
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From part of the financial settlement with Occidental Chemical, NYSDEC purchased a
mass-marking trailer. This has allowed the fin clipping of all Chinook salmon stocked
in Lake Ontario since the spring of 2008. The technology allows, for the first time, all
1.8 million Chinook salmon to be fin clipped to distinguish between hatchery produced
and naturally reproduced fish. The Salmon River is known to have reproduction
levels of Chinook salmon in the millions on an annual basis. Until now there was no
way to know the actual survival rate of these fish and their contribution to the fishery.
With the marking of all hatchery fish this question can now be addressed.
Early indications from sampling in the lake show naturally-reproduced Chinook
salmon accounted for approximately 31% of the fish caught by anglers.
Approximately 57% of adult Chinook salmon returning to the main stem of the Salmon
River were unclipped, naturally-reproduced fish, while returns to the Salmon River
Hatchery, as expected, were predominately hatchery produced fin-clipped fish.
The Salmon River Tributary Creel Survey, conducted September through November
2010, showed that 705,000 angler hours (113,000 angler trips) were spent fishing on
the Salmon River. This is an increase from the 634,000 angler hours recorded during
the 9 month September through May 2006/2007survey. The 2010 three month river
survey was 76% of the total fishing effort expended on all Lake Ontario tributaries
surveyed during 2006/2007. It also equaled 78% of the total Lake Ontario boat
fishery effort and, if the survey had been carried out for the remainder of the year,
more than likely would have surpassed the boat fishery.
Trends in fishing nationwide have shown declining participation. The Salmon River
Survey results go against this trend and actually equal the fisheries’ peak participation
in the late 1980s. Catches in the lake boat fishery and the tributary fishery for salmon
and trout have remained at a very high level for species such as steelhead and
Chinook salmon. Steelhead catches in 2010 were at record levels in the boat fishery.
Data on Lake Ontario Fisheries can be found in the NYSDEC 2011 Annual Report of
the Bureau of Fisheries Lake Ontario Unit to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission
Lake Ontario Committee.
