The Margaree Salmon Association in northern Cape Breton has been employing electrofishing to monitor fish populations in the Margaree River for the past several years. This method involves using an electric current to temporarily stun fish, allowing crews to safely catch, measure, and identify them before releasing them back into the river.
Michael Fabiano, the association’s conservation co-ordinator, mentioned that electrofishing operations are conducted from May to late September with a minimal mortality rate of two percent among the thousands of fish handled each season. Ensuring fish safety is their top priority, and electrofishing is avoided when water temperatures are too high.
The crews carefully regulate the electric current to momentarily immobilize fish for a few seconds. To prevent any hazards from working with electricity in water, team members wear protective heavy rubber gloves and chest waders. No serious incidents involving electric shocks have occurred during Fabiano’s tenure of 18 months with the association.
Surveying various locations along the 120-kilometre river enables the identification of the most productive streams and the assessment of overall fish health. The catch primarily consists of trout and Atlantic salmon, with occasional appearances of eels and lampreys. This season, the association has captured and released approximately 1,800 fish across nine streams, a decrease from the previous year’s numbers.
Paul MacNeil, the association’s president, highlighted that the group intensified its scientific research due to reduced data collection by Fisheries and Oceans Canada over the past five years. Established in 1982, the association sought reliable data to monitor river health amidst changing climate conditions.
To address the data gap, the association collaborated with the Chéticamp River Salmon Association to acquire electrofishing equipment. While members also conduct fish counts by swimming the river, MacNeil emphasized that electrofishing provides more precise data on juvenile fish populations.
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