In recent years, the Margaree Salmon Association in northern Cape Breton has utilized electrofishing as a method to monitor fish populations in the Margaree River. This technique involves temporarily stunning fish with an electric current, allowing crews to safely capture, measure, and identify them before releasing them back into the river.
Michael Fabiano, the conservation co-ordinator of the association, mentioned that electrofishing operations typically run from May to late September with a mortality rate of two percent among the thousands of fish processed each season. Crews prioritize fish safety, refraining from electrofishing in high water temperature conditions.
To ensure the safety of both the fish and crew members, specific current levels are set to cause fish to briefly roll over. Crew members wear heavy rubber gloves and chest waders to prevent any injuries from working with electricity in the water. No serious shocks have been reported among crew members during Fabiano’s tenure with the group.
Surveying various locations along the 120-kilometre river, crews aim to identify the most productive streams and evaluate the overall fish health. The catch typically comprises approximately 95 percent of trout and Atlantic salmon, with occasional sightings of eels and lampreys.
During the current season, the association has captured and released around 1,800 fish across nine streams, showing a decrease from the previous year. Fabiano attributes this decline partly to the challenging conditions experienced last year, including low water levels and high temperatures due to a severe drought that impacted the Margaree River.
Paul MacNeil, the association’s president, highlighted the group’s enhanced focus on scientific research due to reduced data collection efforts by Fisheries and Oceans Canada over the past five years. Established in 1982, the association sought reliable data to monitor river health amidst shifting climate conditions.
To address the data gap, the association collaborated with the Chéticamp River Salmon Association to acquire electrofishing equipment. While manual fish counting is also conducted in the river, MacNeil emphasized that electrofishing provides more precise data on juvenile fish populations within specific territories.
Overall, the partnership’s electrofishing efforts aim to fill the void left by reduced government data collection, providing valuable insights into the Margaree River’s ecosystem and fish populations.