Hammond River Smolt Assessment.

Sea-bound juvenile Atlantic salmon (smolt) migration was monitored for the first time in the Hammond River during the spring of 2013. Our results have indicated that the timing of smolt migration in the Hammond is much earlier than previously believed. Building upon the knowledge gained in 2013, a smolt wheel was deployed in the spring of 2014 and a population estimate was obtained. A smolt wheel will be deployed in early April 2015, to conduct a mark-recapture survey on Hammond River smolt for a third season of monitoring. An ongoing smolt assessment, in conjunction with long-term data on juvenile and adult salmon life stages, helps to increase our understanding of documented population declines and make management decisions to better protect this species.

Contact: Sean Doyle, 506-832-1230, sean.doyle@hraa.ca