Stock status update of Atlantic salmon to 2021 in salmon fishing areas (SFAs) 19-21 and 23

Abstract

The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) identified four large groups of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar), referred to as Designatable Units (DUs), in the Maritimes Region: Eastern Cape Breton (ECB; corresponding to Salmon Fishing Area [SFA] 19), Nova Scotia Southern Upland (SU; SFAs 20, 21 and part of 22), Outer Bay of Fundy (OBoF; corresponding to the western part of SFA 23), and Inner Bay of Fundy (IBoF; part of SFAs 22 and 23) (see Appendix). Abundance of Atlantic Salmon in the Maritimes Region has been in decline for more than two decades. Populations in many rivers are extirpated, and IBoF salmon are listed as Endangered under the Species at Risk Act (SARA). In November 2010, COSEWIC assessed the ECB, SU and OBoF population assemblages as Endangered. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has completed scientific Recovery Potential Assessments (RPAs), socio-economic analyses, and public consultations for these DUs to inform the decision on whether or not they will be listed under SARA. Science advice on the status of Salmon in SFAs 19–21 and 23 for 2021 was requested by Fisheries Management. This advice is used to inform Indigenous communities, clients, and the provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick of the status of the Salmon resource in advance of developing harvest agreements and recreational fishing plans for 2022. The objective of the request was to assess the status of Salmon stocks in SFAs 19, 20, 21, and 23 up to the end of 2021 using the following indicators: • adult abundance relative to reference levels; • juveniles densities; and • smolt production estimates. Given that this request is for an update of previous advice using established methods (DFO 2021 and references therein), the Science Response Process was used. This Science Response Report results from the Regional Science Response Process of March 10, 2022, on the Stock Status Update of Atlantic Salmon in Salmon Fishing Areas (SFAs) 19–21 and 23.