by AFSAR Team CMM

The Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq – Department of Aquatic Resources and Fisheries Management (Mi’kmaw Conservation Group)

Our AFSAR team worked exceptionally hard this past year to complete fieldwork and engage with our communities. In this article we want to share the highlights from our year in the field.

For the past 9 years (2014-2022) CMM, in partnership with DFO Science, has significantly contributed to species-at-risk monitoring in the Stewiacke River watershed. This area has been identified as a priority watershed and critical freshwater habitat for the endangered inner Bay of Fundy (iBoF) Atlantic salmon (Plamu) population. Using a rotary screw trap (RST) during the spring (May-June), our team is able to capture migrating salmon smolts to determine the timing of their run, size, health, and origin of the salmon within the watershed. Despite battling tough conditions on the river this past year, our team was able to capture 17 iBoF salmon, as well as 69 other individuals (fish, frogs, salamanders). This was highlighted by the capture of 36 American eels (Katew). This upcoming field season will mark the 10th year of RST operation within the Stewiacke River.

CMM staff, community members, and summer students conducted mussel surveys in multiple watersheds throughout mainland Nova Scotia to collect information on the population distribution, population size, physical characteristics, and critical habitat of the brook floater (Jipu’ji’je ...

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