In recent years, the Margaree Salmon Association in northern Cape Breton has employed electrofishing as a method to monitor fish populations in the Margaree River. This technique utilizes an electric current to momentarily stun fish, allowing crews to safely capture, measure, and identify them before returning them to the water.
Michael Fabiano, the association’s conservation co-ordinator, mentioned that electrofishing operations are conducted from May to late September, with a minimal two per cent mortality rate among the thousands of fish handled each season. Safety for the fish is a top priority, and electrofishing is avoided when water temperatures are deemed too high.
Crews carefully regulate the electric current to cause fish to momentarily roll over, ensuring minimal impact. To protect themselves from potential electric shocks in water, team members wear heavy rubber gloves and chest waders. No serious incidents have occurred during Fabiano’s 18 months with the organization.
Surveying various points along the 120-kilometre river, crews identify the most productive streams and evaluate the overall fish population’s health. The catch primarily consists of trout and Atlantic salmon, with occasional eels and lampreys making up about 95 per cent of the total.
This season, the association has captured and released approximately 1,800 fish across nine streams, a decrease from the previous year. Fabiano attributes this decline partly to last year’s challenging conditions, including low water levels and high temperatures due to a severe drought that significantly impacted the Margaree River.
Paul MacNeil, the association’s president, explained that the group intensified its scientific research efforts as Fisheries and Oceans Canada reduced data collection on the river over the past five years. Established in 1982, the association sought reliable data to monitor river health amidst shifting climate patterns.
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 in the river, MacNeil emphasized that electrofishing provides more precise data on juvenile fish populations.
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