The Dungarvon Project: Is stocking of first feeding fry an effective recovery strategy for wild Atlantic salmon populations?

Stocking is often used to boost declining Atlantic salmon populations by releasing hatchery‑reared fish, but traditional programs can unintentionally cause genetic problems, including selection in captivity and reduced genetic diversity when a few broodstock produce many closely related returning adults—a pattern known as the Ryman‑Leikre effect. This project will evaluate whether producing first‑feeding fry (FFF) from Smolt‑to‑Adult Supplementation (SAS) parents—who represent a much larger pool of potential broodstock—can reduce these risks and outperform traditional broodstock‑derived fry. By comparing adult return rates and genetic quality among fish produced by traditional broodstock programs, SAS‑based FFF supplementation, and entirely wild populations, the study aims to determine which strategy yields the highest per‑capita returns and whether supplemented adults differ genetically from wild salmon.