Cape Breton groups worried as more Atlantic salmon are deemed endangered

A federal advisory committee has expanded its listing of endangered Atlantic salmon populations in Cape Breton, raising concern among conservation groups.

They fear the change could spell the end of recreational fishing for one of the East Coast’s iconic species in New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and much of Nova Scotia.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans says this is a possibility, but not an inevitable outcome.

After the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) was informed of the change in assessment status at federal fisheries meetings with stakeholders earlier this month. Salmon populations reassessedWhich includes the entire coast of Nova Scotia and the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence.

René Aucoin, president of the Cheticamp River Salmon Association, was at one of those meetings.

He said, “Most of it was general information that we received, except for the end, where they dropped a bomb on us.”

Aucoin said salmon populations on Nova Scotia’s Atlantic coast are in trouble, but it’s a different story on the western side of Cape Breton Island.

“Over the last 10, 15 years, our rivers have been doing very well and in fact, in 2023, I believe we had the strongest comeback of salmon in probably 50 years in our rivers and here we are two years later, we are being designated as endangered,” he said.

“It makes absolutely no sense.”

Bill Haley, vice president of the Margery Salmon Association, agreed.

He said the salmon in New Brunswick’s Miramichi River are being decimated by a growing population of striped bass, but the Margaree is in good condition.

‘It’s just bad news’

“It’s just bad news and unfortunate, because it could have been good news for Margaery, but unfortunately we’re getting stuck in some unhealthy waters,” Haley said.

COSEWIC is an independent advisory body of wildlife experts that makes recommendations to the federal government on threatened species.

Haley and AuCoin say they are concerned the committee will recommend the government go a step further and add the Nova Scotia and Southern Gulf salmon populations to the Endangered Species Act.

“If that happens, recreational fishing, even catch-and-release, will probably be over,” Haley said.

Officials say the process is long and complex and could take years for the species to be listed as endangered under federal law.

DFO will be involved and consultations will include the public, conservation organizations, industry and First Nations.

But Aucoin said people are ready to argue against permanent changes to salmon status, but there is no comfort in a lengthy process.

“I’m sure there is time, but it’s like dropping a big bomb but it will only explode in five or six years, so it’s still a big concern.”

Haley said he hopes DFO will consider the impact on some stable salmon populations.

“It’ll probably take two to three years to actually get it done, but we’d like to get it off the ground early,” he said.

“We have a river here that is very healthy.”

Robert Jones, DFO’s manager of biodiversity management in the Bay Area, said endangered listing is possible under federal law, but even this is far from certain.

DFO consider science, socio-economics

“The decisions that will ultimately be taken to list any species or population under the (Species at Risk Act) will take into consideration all its aspects, including socio-economic factors along with the advice of science,” he said.

“It is too early to determine what is going to happen with Atlantic salmon in the context of the listing process and we need to take into account a whole range of different considerations as part of a broader recommendation on whether or not to list.”

But Jones said the rating change is just a first step, but it is a serious one.

“There is a conservation concern. I mean COSEWIC has assessed these populations and particularly the population in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence as being endangered for some reason.”

Jones said COSEWIC has determined that genetic, behavioral and other biological studies have determined that the salmon population on the eastern side of Nova Scotia is very similar to that on the west side.

But that doesn’t mean the rivers will necessarily be treated the same and it doesn’t mean a recommendation to list all those salmon as endangered under federal law is inevitable, he said.

“We’ll look at it on a river-by-river, location-based approach, as we call it, so it’s something that’s too early to determine what’s going to happen,” Jones said.

DFO launched a Atlantic Salmon Conservation Strategy last year and is taking steps to rebuild fish stocks, but critics say lack of sufficient funds.

Jones said COSEWIC will make recommendations to Environment and Climate Change Canada in the fall and the process will ultimately take into account potential economic impact, conservation, social impact and Indigenous perspectives.

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