Wild Atlantic Salmon Numbers Drop For Second Year In A Row: Report

SAINT JOHN, N.B.—A new report from a group advocating for the protection and conservation of wild Atlantic salmon says the number of salmon in North American rivers has dropped for the second year in a row.

The Atlantic Salmon Federation’s annual State of the Populations report says numbers in 2017 dipped overall by 15 per cent compared to the year before, and only half of the 84 rivers assessed in North America met the minimum conservation limit required to safely sustain the species.

Federation spokesman Neville Crabbe says the drop can be attributed to a number of causes, including overfishing and low marine survival rates for juvenile fish.

While numbers vary widely from region to region, Newfoundland and parts of southern Labrador experienced the biggest decline, with their number of returning wild Atlantic salmon falling 45 per cent since 2015.

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