What is SAS?

The smolt-to-adult (SAS) supplementation Atlantic salmon program is where wild salmon smolts are collected, raised in captivity, and release back into their native river as mature adults. 

As with any operation related to fish stocks (fishing, stocking, etc) there are risks associated with the SAS program. Our job is to study all the details of the SAS Atlantic salmon to understand it using the latest research methods. 

Why SAS?

Atlantic salmon in Eastern Canada experience high marine mortality, which is the main concern in recovering salmon populations. In the last couple of decades, the Miramichi River returning Atlantic salmon population has declined below conservation targets. Traditional juvenile salmon stocking as been conducted by the Miramichi Salmon Association Hatchery (MSA) since 1973. A more recent smolt-to-adult (SAS) supplementation program has been proposed for the Miramichi River. Currently, there are more known benefits for the SAS program compared to traditional stocking, but several risks are not fully understood. Our aim is to conduct experiments on the new smolt-to-adult supplementation (SAS) program in a natural river system, an experimental river system, and in the laboratory. 

Miramichi Salmon Association

The Miramichi Salmon Association (MSA) has collected smolts and raised wild Atlantic salmon in the hatchery for the proposed SAS program in the Miramichi River. Smolts where collected from the Little Southwest Miramichi (LSWM) and Northwest Miramichi (NW) in 2015 and 2016.

The SAS Atlatnic salmon are raised from smolt to adult at the Miramichi Salmon Conservation Center

SAS Research Projects

Getting ready to transport salmon from Miramichi Salmon Conservation Center

David Roth spends his days following SAS Atlantic salmon at the experimental river. 

Project 1: River Experiment
 A radio-tracking experiment will be conducted to compare summer behavior, migration and spawning behavior, winter behavior, survival, and kelt migration, and survival to repeat spawning of  wild and smolt-to-adult supplementation (SAS) Atlantic salmon in a natural river (Northwest Miramichi River). More information about this project HERE.
​
Project 2:  Experimental River
To better understand how SAS Atlantic salmon will respond in a natural environment compared to wild Atlantic salmon, a controlled river experiment is being conducted. Wild and SAS individuals of Atlantic salmon will be released in a small and natural, fenced off stream.
The experiment in its first phase will examine SAS and wild adult behaviour, activity levels and survival. In a second phase, the SAS and wild progeny will be studied to gain knowledge on their behaviour, growth and their survival rate.

Project 3: Laboratory Experiment
The laboratory experiments provide a fully controlled environment, where fundamental data on SAS fish characteristics can be obtained. Important information is collected on fecundity, egg size and fitness of SAS Atlantic salmon, which will then be compared to wild fish. The results help us to find and understand eventual differences between the two groups. The knowledge gained from these experiments will help to develop more detailed strategies for the SAS project in the future.

Redd in the experimental river

SAS Atlantic salmon released to the experimental river