Conservation and restoration of wild Atlantic salmon populations in the Bouctouche watershed with the use of river incubators

During the past few years, SAA, along with its partners (Department of Fisheries and Oceans and Bouctouche First Nation) has surveyed, via electro-fishing and trap net surveys, the Atlantic salmon populations in the Bouctouche watershed. Using that information, potential incubator installment sites will be determined. SAA will work to restore salmon populations in the Bouctouche River via use of Jordan-Scotty Salmonid Egg Incubators. The process consists of capturing adult salmon from the targeted river, extracting eggs with the help of the Miramichi Salmon Conservation Centre’s hatchery, and putting the eggs in incubators at various sites (approx. 3-5) during the Fall. Each incubator holds 1000 eggs. Project success would be evaluated from the percentage of eggs hatched from incubators. Success will also be evaluated during subsequent years from electro-fishing survey results. This project will help increase Atlantic salmon population.
Contact: Darlene Elward, 506-576-2118, aprse@nb.aibn.com