The resilience of those fish and the serenity of this cold, slow flowing river is truly inspirational and something I feel a deep connection with. I think every Canadian should care about protecting Atlantic salmon and their ecosystem, which will also benefit the diversity of species that live within.

Wild Atlantic salmon are an important part of the social and economic fabric of eastern Canada, playing a central role in First Nations culture and representing an integral part of Canada’s natural history. 

Moreover, they are remarkable animals, often undertaking long-distance migrations to the coasts of Greenland to feed and coming back to spawn in the exact river in which they were born into. In the past decades, many salmon populations have been decreasing throughout their range and part of the mystery surrounding their decline resides in a lack of information about the factors influencing marine survival. 

For the past three years, I (along with colleagues) have devoted a significant part of our life gathering scientific knowledge that will hopefully lead to a better understanding of adult Atlantic salmon habitat use and on the factors affecting their survival in rivers, though the Bras d’Or Lake of Cape Breton island, and in the North Atlantic Ocean. The information gathered by the use of electronic tracking technologies will contribute to management and conservation actions directed at this charismatic species and its environment. 

This project is the fruit of a collaborative, multi-agency effort between Dalhousie University and the Ocean Tracking Network, the Unima’ki Institute for Natural Resources, Cape Breton University, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and the Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture."

Thanks to Anja Samardzic, Communications Manager OCEAN TRACKING NETWORK @OceanTracking