Projects Directory

Kelt tracking and adult salmon assessment, Miramichi River

Recipient: Miramichi Salmon Association
Approved Amount: $10,000
Year Approved: 2008

The Miramichi Salmon Association, in partnership with the Atlantic Salmon Federation, conducted a study on tracking kelts as they moved from the head of tide on the Northwest and Southwest Miramichi to the ocean and through to the Strait of Belle Isle.
Of the 50 kelts tagged, 48 kelts made it through the outer array set up in the outer barrier islands of Miramichi bay. Adult salmon and grilse captured at the DFO adult traps at Cassilis and Millerton, on the Miramichi River, NB, were marked with blue carlin tags and an adipose punch. This punch allowed us to identify any fish that had previously been tagged, if the tag had been removed by an angler.

Pools were selected all over the watershed based on their ability to hold fish during the seining period and their ease at being seined  Fish were identified as grilse or salmon, male or female and checked for tags, punches and adipose clips. All fish were released except those taken for brood stock for the Miramichi Salmon Conservation Centre.

In total we seined 14 pools, 4 on the Northwest Miramichi and 10 on the Southwest Miramichi, with some pools being seined multiple times.  In total we were able to capture 351 grilse and 104 salmon on the Northwest Miramichi and 542 grilse and 257 salmon on the Southwest Miramichi. Included in those numbers we captured 4 marked grilse on the Northwest Miramichi, and 6 grilse and 1 salmon on the Southwest Miramichi that were tagged and/or punched.