Atlantic Salmon Population Baseline Watershed Survey in Hay River

Souris and Area Branch of the PEI Wildlife Federation will be conducting extensive monitoring in Hay River to compile Atlantic salmon benchmark data in a reference watershed to validate and challenge previous assumptions of populations numbers based on established formulas and data. For example, sex ratio of total returning adult salmon in comparison to the number of redds. This will be used to help us understand watershed health and what effects they may have on salmon production and survival. Analyzing this monitoring data will help us to determine correlation between environmental conditions and limiting factors which will aid us in retaining and improving salmon stocks in Prince Edward Island.

We intend to apply for this same project for the next three funding years so that we may gather enough monitoring data for Hay River. Our overall objective is to develop a habitat restoration management plan using multi-year monitoring data from Hay River that can be used as a reference document for all of PEI.

Contact: Keila Miller, 902-687-4115, sourisareawildlife@gmail.com