Stock Characteristics and Catches of Atlantic Salmon ( Salmo salar) in Quebec, and Newfoundland and Labrador in Relation to Environmental Variables
More than 500 stocks of anadromous Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in a natural vigorous state are estimated to exist in Newfoundland and the Quebec–Labrador peninsula. They represent the end result of 6000–13 000 years of natural selection for local conditions and have been subject to relatively litt...
Published in: | Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences |
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Canadian Science Publishing
1981
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f81-210 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/f81-210 |
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crcansciencepubl:10.1139/f81-210 2024-09-15T17:56:06+00:00 Stock Characteristics and Catches of Atlantic Salmon ( Salmo salar) in Quebec, and Newfoundland and Labrador in Relation to Environmental Variables Power, G. 1981 http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f81-210 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/f81-210 en eng Canadian Science Publishing http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences volume 38, issue 12, page 1601-1611 ISSN 0706-652X 1205-7533 journal-article 1981 crcansciencepubl https://doi.org/10.1139/f81-210 2024-08-01T04:10:03Z More than 500 stocks of anadromous Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in a natural vigorous state are estimated to exist in Newfoundland and the Quebec–Labrador peninsula. They represent the end result of 6000–13 000 years of natural selection for local conditions and have been subject to relatively little manipulation. Stock characteristics correlating with environmental variables include an inverse relation between smolt age and mean temperature, and smolt age and growing season, and a positive relation between the length of sea life and river discharge. Variations in precipitation and temperature across the area result in different patterns of river discharge. Winter discharge is critically low in the north and salmon are restricted to larger rivers; low summer discharge on the east coast of Newfoundland and in southern Quebec may limit parr territory and hamper adult upstream migration. Because upstream migrations are delayed in years of low rainfall, causing salmon to remain longer in the area of commercial fisheries, salmon catches are generally higher in years of low rain than in wet years. The negative correlation occurs again in the catches of salmon 1, 2, and 7 years after years of low rainfall, but the reasons for this are obscure. Sea and river temperatures confine migration to a very short interval in Ungava and affect life cycles and maturation patterns. Most males spend over 12 mo in freshwater before spawning. Constraints are relaxed further south until high summer temperatures cause selection for early and late running stocks. There is a need for more systematic compilation of salmon stock data particularly over long enough periods to evaluate the effects of climatic variables and management strategies.Key words: Atlantic salmon, stock characteristics, precipitation and catches, temperature, migration Article in Journal/Newspaper Atlantic salmon Newfoundland Salmo salar Canadian Science Publishing Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 38 12 1601 1611 |
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Open Polar |
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Canadian Science Publishing |
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crcansciencepubl |
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English |
description |
More than 500 stocks of anadromous Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in a natural vigorous state are estimated to exist in Newfoundland and the Quebec–Labrador peninsula. They represent the end result of 6000–13 000 years of natural selection for local conditions and have been subject to relatively little manipulation. Stock characteristics correlating with environmental variables include an inverse relation between smolt age and mean temperature, and smolt age and growing season, and a positive relation between the length of sea life and river discharge. Variations in precipitation and temperature across the area result in different patterns of river discharge. Winter discharge is critically low in the north and salmon are restricted to larger rivers; low summer discharge on the east coast of Newfoundland and in southern Quebec may limit parr territory and hamper adult upstream migration. Because upstream migrations are delayed in years of low rainfall, causing salmon to remain longer in the area of commercial fisheries, salmon catches are generally higher in years of low rain than in wet years. The negative correlation occurs again in the catches of salmon 1, 2, and 7 years after years of low rainfall, but the reasons for this are obscure. Sea and river temperatures confine migration to a very short interval in Ungava and affect life cycles and maturation patterns. Most males spend over 12 mo in freshwater before spawning. Constraints are relaxed further south until high summer temperatures cause selection for early and late running stocks. There is a need for more systematic compilation of salmon stock data particularly over long enough periods to evaluate the effects of climatic variables and management strategies.Key words: Atlantic salmon, stock characteristics, precipitation and catches, temperature, migration |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Power, G. |
spellingShingle |
Power, G. Stock Characteristics and Catches of Atlantic Salmon ( Salmo salar) in Quebec, and Newfoundland and Labrador in Relation to Environmental Variables |
author_facet |
Power, G. |
author_sort |
Power, G. |
title |
Stock Characteristics and Catches of Atlantic Salmon ( Salmo salar) in Quebec, and Newfoundland and Labrador in Relation to Environmental Variables |
title_short |
Stock Characteristics and Catches of Atlantic Salmon ( Salmo salar) in Quebec, and Newfoundland and Labrador in Relation to Environmental Variables |
title_full |
Stock Characteristics and Catches of Atlantic Salmon ( Salmo salar) in Quebec, and Newfoundland and Labrador in Relation to Environmental Variables |
title_fullStr |
Stock Characteristics and Catches of Atlantic Salmon ( Salmo salar) in Quebec, and Newfoundland and Labrador in Relation to Environmental Variables |
title_full_unstemmed |
Stock Characteristics and Catches of Atlantic Salmon ( Salmo salar) in Quebec, and Newfoundland and Labrador in Relation to Environmental Variables |
title_sort |
stock characteristics and catches of atlantic salmon ( salmo salar) in quebec, and newfoundland and labrador in relation to environmental variables |
publisher |
Canadian Science Publishing |
publishDate |
1981 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f81-210 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/f81-210 |
genre |
Atlantic salmon Newfoundland Salmo salar |
genre_facet |
Atlantic salmon Newfoundland Salmo salar |
op_source |
Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences volume 38, issue 12, page 1601-1611 ISSN 0706-652X 1205-7533 |
op_rights |
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1139/f81-210 |
container_title |
Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences |
container_volume |
38 |
container_issue |
12 |
container_start_page |
1601 |
op_container_end_page |
1611 |
_version_ |
1810432319989743616 |