Suspected Atlantic salmon discovered along Petitcodiac River
Former riverkeeper Daniel LeBlanc will send fish for analysis to confirm it is rare, endangered species
A man surfing the Petitcodiac River in Moncton last week wound up catching more than just a wave.
Former riverkeeper Daniel LeBlanc swam ashore on Dec. 25 to find what he believes to be an Atlantic Salmon washed up on the rocks.
LeBlanc says he has surfed the tidal bore about 60 times this year, but this 20-inch grilse is the first salmon he has come across.
"It was a surprise, a Christmas Day surprise," he said.
Atlantic salmon is an endangered species in rivers of the inner Bay of Fundy, including the Petitcodiac. While its historic spawning grounds once encompassed more than 40 rivers and streams in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, inner Bay of Fundy Atlantic salmon populations have declined by 90 per cent or more in recent years, putting this fish at risk of extinction, according to Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
He put the dead fish in his freezer and plans to hand it over to Fisheries and Oceans Canada officials to examine and determine where it came from.
Hundreds of salmon were released into the headwaters of the Petitcodiac this fall in a bid to repopulate the river.
LeBlanc says another surfer also saw a salmon breach on Christmas Day.
"There's a lot of life in the river — certainly more now than there was before," he said. "Others have told me they've felt things nipping at their feet while they're waiting for the surf to come up."
Some fish species that had disappeared from the Petitcodiac River as a result of the causeway have returned since the gates were opened in 2010 as part of restoration efforts.
The causeway, which was built in 1968, linking the City of Moncton and Town of Riverview, had unforeseen consequences on fish and the ecosystem.
Although it had a passageway to allow fish upstream for migration, it was inefficient for most species, according to the Fort Folly Habitat Recovery Program website.