9328

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 9328
• Author: Miller, W. H.
• Title: Analysis of Salmon and Steelhead Supplementation.
• USFW Year: 1990.
• USFW - Doc Type: \
• Copyright Material: NO

Of these returns, 80 percent has been to the Penobscat River in Maine. Ten percent of
the returns to the Penobscot River are from natural production.'
Table 7. Atlantic salmon stocking summary by program in 1989.
Program ~ 0 + Parr
1Parr 1Smolt
2Smolt Total
Maine
USA 580,000 430,500
Canada 66,000 -
Merrimack River 1,033,000 60,000
Pawcatuck River - 379,900
Connecticut River. 1,242,000 272,900
282,200 524,300
88,600 58,200
35,900 6,400
11b,300 221,000
80,200 1,897,200
10,300 76,300
- 1,239,800
- 422,200
- 1,852,200
TOTAL 2,921,000 1,143,300 523,000 809,900 90,500 5,487,700
Atlantic salmon cannot be harvested in the Connecticut or Pawcatuck Rivers. Fishing is
allowed in parts of the Merrimack watershed. However, there were no reported catches
in 1989. Total catch of Atlantic salmon in Maine was reported at 1,007 fish in 1989, 520
of those were released. The Penobscot River produced 86 percent of the total catch.
An exploitation rate of 10 percent was set to help accelerate the restoration of the
Penobscot salmon run.
In Maine, the Dennys, E. Machias, Machias, and Narraguagus Rivers are designated
"wild" but still receive releases of fry, parr, and smolts. In 1989, they were supplemented
with 270,800 juvenile salmon. Returns to these rivers are believed to be mostly of wild
origin, primarily from natural reproduction, with very few originating from fry releases.
In New England "wild" generally refers not only to fish produced naturally, but also to
fish produced from fry stockings.
While all of the programs receive various life stages of Atlantic salmon, each of the four
programs has a different emphasis. The Maine program is mainly a smolt stocking
program while the Merrimack River receives mainly fry. The Connecticut, River program
iJerry Marancik, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Orland, Maine, pers. comm.,
February, 1990.
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