ATLANTIC SALMON RESTORATION

ATLANTIC SALMON

Atlantic Salmon have been considered locally extinct from Lake Ontario since the late 1800's but Ontario Streams is working to restore their habitat and re-establish this unique, landlocked population of salmon. Overfishing, habitat degradations, and man-made in-stream barriers such as hydroelectric dams led to their decline. Ontario Streams has played an active role in enhancing water quality, reopening access to headwater tributaries for river spawning, and restocking Atlantic Salmon fry with the goal of one day achieving naturally reproducing Atlantic Salmon in Lake Ontario.

Check out our resources about Atlantic Salmon!

• hatchery program infographic
• activity sheets
• stewardship tips for anglers
• conservation program infographic
• hatchery set up video (for teachers)

Watch as our staff put 20,000 Atlantic Salmon eggs into incubation tubes!

Since 2008, Ontario Streams has tested egg incubation methods in the headwaters of the Upper Humber River. By using hand-made incubation tubes, eyed-eggs can be safely stocked in-stream in these mimic "redds".

Incubation tubes are installed in February and are monitored weekly by Ontario Streams. During each visit, our staff assess movement of the tubes and water conditions including ice cover and turbidity. As temperatures rise in early May, the salmon fry are released from the tubes into sheltered areas in the creek. The fry will spend a few years growing in the Upper Humber River and then they will migrate to Lake Ontario. They will spend another few years in the lake and when they are full-sized adults they will return to the Upper Humber River to spawn.

As few as 15% of fry will survive the first six months in the wild. With our in-stream incubation research, we consistently see survival rates of 25-40%.  To date, Atlantic Salmon up to 27.6 cm long and weighing 175 g have been found during surveys at our stocking sites. The presence of Atlantic Salmon in this 3-4 year age range indicates that the habitat restoration efforts meet the living requirements for these sensitive fish.

Our restoration efforts are in partnership with the Lake Ontario Atlantic Salmon Restoration Program. This collaborative initiative includes the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, the Toronto Zoo, and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. The goal is to one day have a self-sustaining population of Atlantic Salmon in Lake Ontario again.

BRING BACK THE SALMON CLASSROOM HATCHERY PROGRAM

The Atlantic Salmon Classroom Hatchery Program is one of the educational components of the Lake Ontario Atlantic Salmon Restoration Program. Ontario Streams is a partner organization, coordinating classroom hatcheries with several classes from Caledon ranging from kindergarten to high school.

The hands-on experience allows students to watch the development of Atlantic Salmon from eggs to fry, and students will participate in the release of the fish into the Upper Humber River. We also provide educational coursework for the teachers and presentations about the importance of conserving Atlantic Salmon and their habitat, especially in urban environments.

In 2021, Ontario Streams had the opportunity to launch the program virtually and contributed to the OFAH's weekly virtual presentation series: http://www.bringbackthesalmon.ca/classroom-hatchery-program/