Minutes
Project S.H.A.R.E.
Whitneyville Community Club
Whitneyville, Maine
June 13, 2002
I. Introductions/Anti-Trust
Chairman Chandler called the meeting to order at 9:40 A.M. and welcomed the
29 people in attendance to the 49th meeting of Project S.H.A.R.E. After the
general introductions, Chairman Chandler then read the Anti-Trust guidelines.
II. Past Minutes
Chairman Chandler asked the membership for any errors or omissions to the April
11th, 2002 minutes that were mailed. None noted there was a motion by Bill Cherry,
second by Sherrie Sprangers to accept the minutes as distributed. The minutes
were approved.
III. Treasurers Report
Steven Koenig gave a summary of the Treasurers Report. Motion to accept by Bob
Hinton, second by Sid Reynolds. Approved.
IV. Program
The format for the membership meeting consisted of presentations by agency representatives
reviewing their efforts in Atlantic salmon restoration. Steven Koenig introduced
the speakers for the day.
Nate Pennell - Washington County Soil and Water Conservation District
Nate presented an overview of the Districts history of involvement with watershed issues and Atlantic salmon. Partnering with NRCS the District has a major emphasis of identifying and assisting landowners with correcting NPS sources. Other areas of involvement include soil mapping, aquifer maps, and estuary mapping. The District currently is working with blueberry growers located near the Atlantic salmon rivers on developing water use management plans
Mark Minton - National Marine Fisheries Service
Mark distributed copies of the draft agenda for the Federal Recovery Plan for Atlantic salmon. He noted that the recovery plan is not a regulatory document. It also is not an official document until approved by the federal agencies.
Format:
1. Introduction includes life history, status and threats.
2. Recovery task section includes measurable and quantified goals. A list of
tasks is identified to meet those goals.
3. The implementation schedule prioritizes tasks and identifies agencies/groups
that will be responsible for the tasks. It also estimates the cost and time
to address those tasks.
Process:
1. Started last March
2. Estimate in two weeks the draft will be sent to agencies for technical review
3. Mid-late August a notice of availability will be posted in the Federal Register
4. 60 day comment period
5. Formal public meetings will take place in October
6. Final document completed June 2003
Mark then went on to provide an overview highlighting each section.
Joan Trial - Atlantic Salmon Commission
Joan presented an update on ASC current activities.
Normal activities
Assessment of adult returns
Stocking of fry and smolts
Base work of habitat surveys for available spawning and rearing habitat is complete
Downeast.
Working on assessing the interactions of hydrology and habitat on the Pleasant,
Dennys and Machias Rivers. IFIM studies determine what flow/water level is optimal
at different life stages.
Surveying channel morphology and imbeddedness on the Narraguagus River.
Juvenile density surveys will take place this summer.
Collection of river specific brood stock.
Fall spawning surveys may be aided this year by helicopter flights conducted
by the reserves.
Andy Goode - Atlantic Salmon Federation
ASF has 30-35 employees. One third of their efforts s research supporting policy and advocacy. Research areas:
1. Tracking smolt migrations out into the marine environment.
ASF is in its third year of this study. They have been successful documenting
the smolt migrations.
2. Attempting to assess smolt production and marine migration on the Miramichi
River. Historically the river produced 100,000 smolts. Production is down to
42,000 per year.
3. Interactions of farmed and wild fish. Tracking decline of wild fish and escapes
of aquaculture fish.
4. Potential new project intends to track a controlled release (escape) of farmed
fish in the US, tracking where they go and survival.
5. Salmon Farming issues - cooperative agreement with industry on containment.
A task force is in place and nearly ready to implement a HASAP plan.
6. Greenland Fishery - historically 700,000-800,000 fish/year were harvested.
The major commercial fishery was retired in the early 90's. Some native Canadian
fishery exists. 2/3 of the Greenland harvest is from North America. 2001 quota
was 200,000 tons - 40,000 tons was harvested. The 2002 quota is 50,000 tons.
ASF attempts to attempt to buyout the commercial fishery and make it local use
only.
7. Dam removal in the US is another area of involvement.
8. Federal lobbying. Atlantic salmon funding is about 4% of Pacific NW funding.
Greg Beane - DEP 319
Greg has a background of 13 years with DEP in enforcement and field work. He is in a new position intended to assist Downeast restoration work in the area of NPS assessment and implementation.
John Kocik - National Marine Fisheries Service
NMFS is involved with stage specific assessment. ASC is involved with assessing adult returns, redds, fry and parr. NMFS assesses smolt production, migration and marine survival.
1. Historically NMFS has assessed smolt production on the Narraguagus
River. New efforts are assessing the Pleasant and Sheepscott. The Narraguagus
is capable of producing 12,000 smolts. In 2002, 1500 smolts left the river,
the worst year on record.
2. Parr to smolt survival is about 17%. Winter survival is an issue.
3. Smolt telemetry studies (Dennys and Narraguagus) are attempting to determine
where and when mortality is occurring. Marine survival to the Gulf of Maine
is 37-62%. In Canada, 90% of smolts leaving the river make it to salt water.
4. Assessments in Greenland determine continent of origin and test for disease.
1-5% of the catch is 2 sea-winter fish. The remainder are younger.
Ross Lane - US Fish & Wildlife Service
Three federal law enforcement agents are in Maine involved with ground fish enforcement and marine mammals. They enforce the ESA listing of Atlantic salmon in joint patrols with DMR and IF&W.
Morten Moesswilde - Maine Forest Service
Morten provided information on a new skidder bridge program available to loggers cutting in the listed watersheds.
V. Other Business
Matt Scott described his involvement in the state's invasive species task force.
There will be a public meeting at UMM in the August. DEP will be making the
arrangements.
Bob Chandler posed the question to the agency representatives
- Is there hope?
Responses included comments of hope and frustration.
VI. Meeting adjourned at 12:15 P.M. Motion by Bob Hinton, Second by Sherrie Sprangers. Approved. The next meeting is August 8, 2002 at the Hillgrove Community Center.