SAEN's Current and Past Projects
SAEN is dedicated to the conservation and protection of our province's salmonid populations through a variety of hands-on initiatives. These efforts focus on investigating, enhancing, and safeguarding wild salmonid species, while also educating communities across the province. Below, you’ll find a list of our current and past projects. Both our projects for 2024 were proudly funded by The Foundation for Conservation for Atlantic Salmon.
SAEN Investigates Declines of Wild Atlantic Salmon in the Rocky River Watershed
Historically, the Rocky River watershed did not support a run of wild anadromous salmon due to a 6m, impassable falls at the mouth of the river. In the 1980's SAEN worked in collaboration with DFO to stock the river with salmon fry and repair a previously built concrete fishway that would allow anadromous salmon to surmount the falls during spawning season. In 1987, the first adult salmon returned to the river system. Returns have been monitored each year since, peaking in 2010 with almost 1000 recorded returns. Since then, salmon returns have been in decline, with less than 150 salmon returning in 2023.
SAEN is working in collaboration with DFO and MUN to investigate the watershed this field season for reasons for this decline. SAEN's role is to complete watershed assessments throughout the system, looking for potential habitat degradation, areas of pollution, barriers to migration and other factors that could be playing a role in salmon declines. The long-term goals of this project are to create a watershed management plan for the area and increase local participation in salmon conservation. We have already seen interest from locals in getting involved in this project, with a stewardship group already starting to take form, which is promising for the future of Atlantic salmon in Rocky River.
SAEN is working in collaboration with DFO and MUN to investigate the watershed this field season for reasons for this decline. SAEN's role is to complete watershed assessments throughout the system, looking for potential habitat degradation, areas of pollution, barriers to migration and other factors that could be playing a role in salmon declines. The long-term goals of this project are to create a watershed management plan for the area and increase local participation in salmon conservation. We have already seen interest from locals in getting involved in this project, with a stewardship group already starting to take form, which is promising for the future of Atlantic salmon in Rocky River.
SAEN Investigates Reported Fish Mortalities in Salmon Cove
Salmon Cove is a popular tourist destination on the Avalon, known for its unique sandy beach. In previous years, there has been local concern about seemingly random fish mortalities occurring throughout the watershed. Initial DFO investigations revealed the presence of blue-green algae in the watershed. SAEN, with the help of local volunteers, is further investing the watershed for other potential causes of these fish kills this field season.
Click on each image below to see full article.
Click on each image below to see full article.
Past SAEN Projects
SAEN Supports Educational Fish Friends Program at the Fluvarium
Like clockwork, the salmon in the Exploits River return and prepare to spawn. And with similar annual timing, the Exploits River Management Association (ERMA) collects a few adults as they pass through their Interpretation Centre and Fishway to assist in salmon rehabilitation and education projects. SAEN annually cooperates with ERMA to provide fertilized eggs to the Fluvarium in St. John’s for its Fish Friends program for local elementary schools.
On October 26, 2020 this years eggs and milt were collected by ERMA biologists and shipped unfertilized to St. John’s on the DRL bus from Grand Falls. The night the eggs arrived they were cleaned and fertilized by SAEN volunteers and allowed to become more resilient (harden) overnight. On the morning of October 27, they were disinfected and delivered to the Fluvarium’s incubator where they will develop through the winter. When spring arrives, newly hatched salmon fry will be delivered to local elementary schools where they will learn about salmon, their life history, and environmental stewardship. The fry will then be taken to Rennies River by each class and released where they will help in re-establishing Atlantic salmon in the City’s rivers.
To learn more about this program and many others offered by the Fluvarium, visit their website at www.fluvarium.ca.
Like clockwork, the salmon in the Exploits River return and prepare to spawn. And with similar annual timing, the Exploits River Management Association (ERMA) collects a few adults as they pass through their Interpretation Centre and Fishway to assist in salmon rehabilitation and education projects. SAEN annually cooperates with ERMA to provide fertilized eggs to the Fluvarium in St. John’s for its Fish Friends program for local elementary schools.
On October 26, 2020 this years eggs and milt were collected by ERMA biologists and shipped unfertilized to St. John’s on the DRL bus from Grand Falls. The night the eggs arrived they were cleaned and fertilized by SAEN volunteers and allowed to become more resilient (harden) overnight. On the morning of October 27, they were disinfected and delivered to the Fluvarium’s incubator where they will develop through the winter. When spring arrives, newly hatched salmon fry will be delivered to local elementary schools where they will learn about salmon, their life history, and environmental stewardship. The fry will then be taken to Rennies River by each class and released where they will help in re-establishing Atlantic salmon in the City’s rivers.
To learn more about this program and many others offered by the Fluvarium, visit their website at www.fluvarium.ca.
Rennie’s River Restoration
Since 2012 SAEN has been stocking the Rennie’s River, in the middle of St. John’s, with Atlantic salmon eggs from the Exploits River. The aim of the program is to engage the public in issues related to Atlantic salmon conservation and to reestablish a run of Atlantic salmon within the city. If you would like to volunteer to help place eggs within the river please contact SAEN. Salmon eggs are placed in river around November 1 each year. SAEN has also undertaken a number of habitat improvement projects throughout the watershed and installed a smolt counting fence below Quidi Vidi Lake to count outgoing salmon smolts.
Since 2012 SAEN has been stocking the Rennie’s River, in the middle of St. John’s, with Atlantic salmon eggs from the Exploits River. The aim of the program is to engage the public in issues related to Atlantic salmon conservation and to reestablish a run of Atlantic salmon within the city. If you would like to volunteer to help place eggs within the river please contact SAEN. Salmon eggs are placed in river around November 1 each year. SAEN has also undertaken a number of habitat improvement projects throughout the watershed and installed a smolt counting fence below Quidi Vidi Lake to count outgoing salmon smolts.
Public Education Projects
During the winter of 2018 SAEN hosted a series of public lectures by salmonid scientists and researchers in St. John’s.
Topics by graduate students included:
Factors that affect early salmonid development, Heather Penney
Using archival and acoustic telemetry to investigate the marine behaviour of Atlantic salmon in NL, Kristin Boe
Viability of Atlantic salmon, brown trout, and bidirectional hybrids during the early developmental stage, Steven Poulos
Using data storage tags to study fish physiology and behavior, Zoe Zrini
Topics by DFO Scientists included:
Conservation genomics of Atlantic salmon in North America, Ian Bradbury
Should I Stay or Should I Go: Developmental, Physiological, Behavioral and Morphological Differences between Offspring from Alternative Life Histories, Travis Van Leeuwen
SAEN also developed a number of signs to place at various fishing locations across Eastern Newfoundland including fish identification signs, river name signs, and do not litter signs.
During the winter of 2018 SAEN hosted a series of public lectures by salmonid scientists and researchers in St. John’s.
Topics by graduate students included:
Factors that affect early salmonid development, Heather Penney
Using archival and acoustic telemetry to investigate the marine behaviour of Atlantic salmon in NL, Kristin Boe
Viability of Atlantic salmon, brown trout, and bidirectional hybrids during the early developmental stage, Steven Poulos
Using data storage tags to study fish physiology and behavior, Zoe Zrini
Topics by DFO Scientists included:
Conservation genomics of Atlantic salmon in North America, Ian Bradbury
Should I Stay or Should I Go: Developmental, Physiological, Behavioral and Morphological Differences between Offspring from Alternative Life Histories, Travis Van Leeuwen
SAEN also developed a number of signs to place at various fishing locations across Eastern Newfoundland including fish identification signs, river name signs, and do not litter signs.