Data Collection Supports Evaluation of Restoration Efforts

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced a joint project with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to collect adult Atlantic salmon from major New York tributaries of Lake Champlain this fall. This work supports the State’s ongoing research and management of the fishery.

DEC and the USFWS will use various techniques to capture returning adult Atlantic salmon from the Saranac, Bouquet, and Ausable rivers through November. Fish captured as part of this effort will be examined and released back to the river where they were captured. Researchers will collect data on at least 80 fish per river to aid in assessing current stocking methods and the success of various genetic strains DEC and USFWS are assessing for improved survival.

Collection efforts will have minimal effect on recreational fishing but anglers should be aware of these efforts and avoid nets marked with orange buoys. Fishing tackle can get caught in the nets and impact the ability of this equipment to effectively capture fish, biasing the results of the study.

For more information about Atlantic salmon, go to DEC’s website.

Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Zach Eisenhauer holds an 11-pound salmon he trapped on the Bouquet River during a 2017 salmon survey.