Atlantic Salmon Federation Seeks Environmental Sustainability in 2014
St. Andrews, New Brunswick (PRWEB) December 31, 2013 -- The Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) wishes wild Atlantic salmon and those that treasure the “King of Fish” a safe and sustainable New Year. ASF has seen some success in 2013 as a charitable organization devoted to conserving wild Atlantic salmon and their environment.
Here are some highlights of the work by ASF and partners:
o Celebrated in April when, after nearly 20 years of exile from their native waters, alewives (gaspereau) gained free migratory passage with the removal of the barrier at Grand Falls Dam on the St. Croix River, the boundary river between Maine, USA and New Brunswick, Canada.
o Gathered in July on the shores of the Penobscot River in Maine to celebrate the breaching of the Veazie Dam. This momentous event reconnected the river and the sea for the first time in nearly 200 years, opening 1000 miles of river habitat to eleven species of sea-run fish.
o Continued work on the Maine Headwaters Project has already restored access to 15,000 acres of ponds and lakes and 300 miles of river for Maine’s native sea-run fish. In the next five years, it’s anticipated that full access will be restored to another 9,000 acres of lakes and ponds and 150 miles of tributary streams.
o Raised the noise level, regarding problems caused by the open pen salmon aquaculture industry in Canada, including outbreaks of Infectious Salmon Anemia (ISA) in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, and escapes in Newfoundland and New Brunswick. In 2013, ASF’s campaign Clean Up Salmon Farming was launched via facebook, newspaper ads, and billboards, explaining the threats to wild Atlantic salmon of open pens in the ocean and encouraging closed containment.
o Continued assessment of the technological feasibility and economic viability of commercial-scale, land based, freshwater, closed-containment systems for farming Atlantic salmon in partnership with The Conservation Fund Freshwater Institute in West Virginia. This technology gained momentum and practical use in the United States, Canada and Europe.
o In September, shared the experiences of more than 100 biologists and scientists in an international workshop on wild Atlantic salmon recovery programs that will be put to practical use on rivers throughout eastern Canada and northeastern United States.
There is still a great deal more work to be done with regard to wild Atlantic salmon protection, conservation and restoration in 2014 and ASF looks forward to greater things to come in the New Year.
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The Atlantic Salmon Federation is dedicated to the conservation, protection and restoration of wild Atlantic salmon and the ecosystems on which their well-being and survival depend. ASF has a network of seven regional councils (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Maine and Western New England). The regional councils cover the freshwater range of the Atlantic salmon in Canada and the United States.
ASF Contact: Holly Johnson, Manager of Public Information: (506)529-1033(o)
(506)469-1033(c), HJohnson(at)asf(dot)ca
Join us on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AtlanticSalmonFederation Twitter: https://twitter.com/SalmonNews
For high-resolution photography please visit: the ASF Image Gallery: http://www.asf.ca/images.html
Holly Johnson, Atlantic Salmon Federation, +1 (506) 529-1033, [email protected]
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