Annual Report of the U.S. Atlantic Salmon Assessment Committee Report No. 26 - 2013 Activities

Total returns to USA rivers was 1,041; this is the sum of documented returns to traps and returns estimated by redd counts. This, year ranks 20 out of 27 years for the 1991-2017 time series. Documented returns to traps totaled 972 and returns estimated by redd counts was 69 adult salmon. Most returns were to the Gulf of Maine Distinct Population Segment, which includes the Penobscot River, Kennebec River and Eastern Maine coastal rivers, accounting for 96.8% of the total returns. Overall, 34.9% of the adult returns to the USA were 1SW salmon, 63.7% were 2SW salmon and 1.2% were 3SW or repeat spawners. Most (77.4 %) returns were of hatchery smolt origin and the balance (22.6%) originated from either natural reproduction, 0+ fall stocked parr, hatchery fry, or eggs. A total of 4,262,454 juvenile salmon (eggs, fry, parr, and smolt), and 4,849 adults were stocked into US rivers. Of those fish, 265,528 carried a mark and/or tag. Eggs for USA hatchery programs were taken from 310 sea-run females and 1,678 captive/domestic and domestic females. Total egg take (8,213,649) was much higher than the previous three years’ average of 6,302,893, partially due to the increased numbers of spawners used (previous three-year average of 1,641 females). Production of farmed salmon in Maine was not available, due to regulations concerning privacy. 2016 NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) NEFSC (Northeast Fisheries Science Center) Submitted Public Domain 1930