Season 2, Episode 2: Finding Refuge

The federal government has made an historic commitment to reviving Atlantic salmon stocks. Canada’s national strategy to ensure the future of Atlantic salmon commits over 80 million dollars to reviving stocks. Bob Keating talks to Tom Cheney to find out more.

Atlantic salmon are being found is some strange places, including rivers of the Arctic. We’ve been studying and mapping this phenomenon for years. But is it good news?Bob Keating puts that question to our resident expert, Neville Crabbe.

One of the most pressing issues facing Atlantic salmon is survival at sea. Salmon populations have declined sharply in recent decades, largely due to poor survival during the ocean phase of their life cycle. Bob Keating talks to the experts (including ASF Vice President of Research and Environment Val Ouellet) about why.

Atlantic salmon thrive in cold water. When cold water ‘refuges’ are not available to them their very survival is at risk. The Atlantic Salmon Federation has been mapping rivers and augmenting these refuges for years. We sent Bob Keating out to discover why it’s so critical.

It’s a bold and ambitious goal. Atlantic Salmon Federation President Nathan Wilbur has set the goal of seeing 1 million adult salmon return to the rivers of the Atlantic coast. It’s also a great place to start a podcast season. Bob Keating sits down with Nathan Wilbur to talk about 1 million returning salmon. 

Bob Talks to Kris Hunter who coordinates ASF’s Wild Salmon Watershed program about conservation for the long-term.

There are still rivers where wild Atlantic salmon are thriving and populations are on the rise.ASF’s Wild Salmon Watersheds program is designed to keep them that way. Bob took a trip to the Terra Nova River in Newfoundland to learn how ASF is partnering with local watershed groups to conserve what’s working for centuries to come.

Bob talks with ASF’s Vice President of U.S. Operations about past successes and future challenges on the Penobscot River.

Maine’s Penobscot River is a shining example of successful salmon conservation. Polluted and blocked by dams for hundreds of years, Bob visits the watershed to hear the story of how dam removal and clean-ups have brought an entire ecosystem back to life.

Bob speaks with Neville Crabbe, ASF’s Vice President of Communications and Special Projects about the future of salmon farming in Atlantic Canada.