The Margaree Salmon Association in northern Cape Breton has been utilizing electrofishing for several years to monitor fish populations in the Margaree River. This method involves using an electric current to temporarily stun fish, allowing crews to safely capture, measure, and identify them before releasing them back into the water. Michael Fabiano, the association’s conservation co-ordinator, mentioned that electrofishing operations run from May to late September, with a mortality rate of two percent among the thousands of fish handled each season.
Ensuring fish safety is the top priority for the crews, Fabiano stated that electrofishing is avoided when water temperatures are too high. Crews carefully regulate the current levels to only momentarily disorient the fish, using protective gear such as heavy rubber gloves and chest waders to prevent any accidents. Despite working with electricity in water, no crew members have experienced severe shocks during Fabiano’s tenure of 18 months.
The crews conduct surveys along the 120-kilometre river to identify the most productive streams and evaluate the overall fish health. The catch primarily consists of trout and Atlantic salmon, with occasional eels and lampreys making up about 95 percent of the total. This season, the association has caught and released approximately 1,800 fish across nine streams, a decline from the previous year, which may be attributed to the challenging conditions experienced last year due to low water levels and high temperatures.
Paul MacNeil, the association’s president, highlighted the increased focus on scientific research as Fisheries and Oceans Canada has reduced data collection efforts on the river over the past five years. Established in 1982, the association sought reliable data to monitor river health amid shifting climate patterns. To address the data gap, the association collaborated with the Chéticamp River Salmon Association to procure electrofishing equipment. While traditional fish counting methods are also employed, MacNeil emphasized that electrofishing provides more precise data on juvenile fish populations within specific territories.
For more accurate monitoring, MacNeil stated, “When we do electrofishing, we have a good potential of capturing all of the juvenile fish in that one territory.”
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