Evaluation of the Transplant of Pacific Pink Salmon ( Oncorhynchus gorbuscha ) from British Columbia to Newfoundland

• Published in: Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada
• Main Author: Lear, W. H.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1975
• Subjects: Pacific; North Harbour; Newfoundland; Oncorhynchus gorbuscha; Pink salmon
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f75-270; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/f75-270

Five transplants of eyed eggs of Pacific pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) were made between streams in southern British Columbia and North Harbour River, Newfoundland. Quantities transplanted were 0.25 million in 1959, 2.5 million in 1962, 3.4 million in 1964, 3.3 million in 1965, and 5.9 million in 1966. Adult returns from these transplants were 1, 49, 638, 8500, and 2426 during 1961, 1964, 1966, 1967, and 1968, respectively. Since 1969, returns have been the progeny of naturally spawning fish and have steadily declined in numbers. The reasons for failure of the transplant are not certain, but possibilities include the following: predation on the fry by brook trout and possibly eels in North Harbour Pond and estuary; unfavorable surface temperatures in the river during the fry run; predation by herring on fry in St. Mary’s Bay; year-class failure of the even-year stocks that were introduced; unsuitability of the donor stocks with respect to migration patterns and homing behavior; inadequate numbers of eggs were transplanted to produce populations required to maintain runs in anything below optimum environmental conditions.