Annual Report of the U.S. Atlantic Salmon Assessment Committee Report No. 14-2001 Activities

The Annual Meeting of the U.S. Atlantic Salmon Assessment Committee was held in Concord, NH at the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, March 5-7, 2002. At this meeting the Committee developed an annual report that provides stocking data, with fish listed by age/life stage and river of release, and tagging and marking data summarized for all New England programs. All fisheries (commercial and recreational) for sea-run Atlantic salmon are closed in USA waters (including coastal waters). Documented adult salmon returns to USA rivers totaled 1,083 fish in 2001, 35% more than observed in 2000. Most returns occurred in Maine, with the Penobscot River accounting for 72.6% of the total return. The Connecticut River adult returns accounted for 3.7% of the total and 25% of the adult returns outside Maine. Overall, 25.8% of the adult returns to the USA were 1SW salmon and 74.3% were MSW salmon. Most (79%) returns were of hatchery smolt origin and the balance (21%) originated from either natural reproduction or hatchery fry. A total of 14,947,435 juvenile salmon (fry, parr, and smolts) was stocked. The Connecticut River received the largest percentage (64.1%); most of which was fry. Maine rivers received approximately 19.4% of the total, followed by the Merrimack River with 11.8%. The total release decreased 2% relative to 2000. Mature adults (7,472) were stocked by the Maine and Merrimack programs. Most fish were either spent broodstock or broodstock excess to hatchery capacity. Some excess broodstock were released to support a recreational fishery and to enhance juvenile production through spawning in the Merrimack River watershed. Egg sources included sea-run salmon, captive and domestic broodstock, and reconditioned kelts. A total of 339 sea-run females, 3,555 captive/domestic females, and 124 female kelts contributed to the egg take. The number of females (4,018) contributing was less than in 2000 (4,538); and total egg take (20,081,100) was down from that of 2000 (22,240,700). A variety of marks and/or external tags (e.g., PIT tags, VI tags, elastomer tags, Petersen disc tags, etc.) were applied to juvenile and adult salmon. Releases included about 519,487 marked and tagged salmon in 2001. Of the total, 87.6% were released into Maine rivers, 1.8% were released into the Merrimack River drainage, 10.6% were released into the Connecticut River drainage. 2002 NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) NEFSC (Northeast Fisheries Science Center) Submitted Public Domain 1930