Letting Rivers Run Wild: Continued Monitoring of iBoF Atlantic Salmon in Black River and Irish River

In 2026, ACAP Saint John will continue monitoring endangered inner Bay of Fundy Atlantic salmon in the Black and Irish rivers, where confirmed salmon presence and conservation priority status make renewed fieldwork essential after drought‑limited surveys in 2025. The 2026 effort will expand electrofishing, strengthen mark‑recapture estimates, explore new reaches, and PIT‑tag up to 30 salmon per river, with fin clips collected for genetic analysis; additional snorkel surveys in the Irish River will help assess early responses to the 2021 barrier removal that restored full fish passage. The project will generate critical data on salmon abundance, habitat use, and movement to guide management and identify key habitats, delivered in partnership with experts in salmon movement and genetics and supported by community outreach to raise awareness of iBoF salmon recovery.