Atlantic Salmon

Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar), probably the best-known member of the Salmonidae family, occurs on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. In Canada, Atlantic SALMON are found in some 300 rivers from Ungava Bay southward along the Labrador coast to Québec and the Maritimes, notably the RESTIGOUCHE R and MIRAMICHI R (NB), HUMBER R and GANDER R (Nfld), Matane and Bonaventure rivers (Qué) and the Eagle and Forteau rivers (Lab). Until the late 1800s, they were abundant in Lk Ontario; their decline there was a result of dam building to provide water power for mills, which prevented access to spawning grounds. They still occur, landlocked, in lakes in Eastern Canada.

Atlantic salmon have a streamlined body, soft-rayed fins and an adipose (fatty) fin. Specimens may attain weights of over 27 kg, but fish over 13.5 kg are uncommon. Commercially caught fish average about 4.5 kg.

Atlantic salmon are renowned for leaping in their attempts to ascend waterfalls to reach spawning grounds. A very high percentage of salmon return to their natal streams to spawn. Spawning occurs in autumn and the large eggs overwinter. Young spend 1-3 years in the river before going to sea as "smolts." Salmon returning to the river after 1 year at sea are called "grilse" and may weigh about 2.2 kg; salmon at sea for 2 years will weigh 4.5-6.7 kg. Not all Atlantic salmon die after spawning and some spawn more than once. An extensive electronic surveillance of young salmon began in 1995 to investigate the mysterious disappearance of Atlantic salmon over recent years. Some scientists believe that cooling waters in the North Atlantic may be the cause.See also TROUT.

Author W.B. SCOTT

Links to Other Sites
Atlantic Salmon Federation
ASF is an international non-profit organization that promotes the conservation and wise management of wild Atlantic salmon and their environment.

Atlantic Salmon
Learn all about Atlantic salmon at this Fédération Québécoise pour le Saumon Atlantique website.

Campbellton
The official website for the City of Campbellton.

Aquaculture Atlas of Canada
Find out about Canada’s growing aquaculture industry in all ten provinces and in the Yukon. Features profiles of selected species.

Fishes of Canada's National Capital Region
A comprehensive guide to fishes found in the National Capital Region of Canada. Scroll down the list of scientific and English names and click on the appropriate link for detailed biological information including species’ ranges across Canada and illustrations. Also, check out the extensive online glossary of terms related to fish and other vertebrates. This site was developed by Brian W. Coad, an ichthyologist at the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa.

Salmonid Interpretation Center
The website for the Salmonid Interpretation Center, located at the Grand Falls Fishway. Their site features a history of local salmon population management programs.

Dr. Ben Koop: Bringing the power of genomics to aquaculture
A brief summary of Dr. Ben Koop's genomics research into the impact of sea lice on salmon raised in aquaculture systems and in the wild. From the University of Victoria.

Nature Photographs
View an online collection of Paul Nicklen's outstanding nature photographs. Click on each image to access photos of seals, polar bears, whales, walruses, Arctic landscapes, and much more. Note: requires Flash Player.

Fish o' the Future
A review of "Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food," a book that forecasts the future of the fish farming industry. From thetyee.ca.