Leonard Nicholas views Atlantic salmon in a unique light compared to most residents of New Brunswick, seeing them as kin or forebears. Describing them as longstanding inhabitants of the region, Nicholas, who serves as the Tobique First Nation’s fishery strategy director, emphasizes the importance of preserving them.
The Tobique River, Nicholas’s home, flows into the Wolastoq, or St. John River, which was once home to tens of thousands of salmon in the 1980s. However, today, only a few hundred salmon make their way back to the river’s Mactaquac Dam annually, as reported by the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
Despite the challenges faced by the salmon population, the Mactaquac Biodiversity Facility operated by DFO has played a crucial role in sustaining it. UNB biologist Tommi Linnansaari likened the situation to keeping a patient alive on life support, highlighting the facility’s critical role in the salmon’s survival.
The facility has been instrumental in transporting salmon beyond three hydroelectric dams and nurturing juvenile salmon from the river before releasing them upstream for breeding. However, DFO plans to close the facility in the upcoming fall, raising concerns among First Nations and biologists about the future of the Wolastoq salmon, also known as outer Bay of Fundy salmon.
Nicholas expressed disappointment at the sudden announcement of the facility’s closure without prior consultation, especially regarding the transport and rearing of juvenile salmon. With the responsibility now falling on his team to collect juvenile salmon above the Tobique River dam, Nicholas is working tirelessly to find alternative solutions.
Moving forward, the Canadian Rivers Institute at UNB has stepped in to assist in transporting the juvenile salmon below the Mactaquac Dam. Last year, around 2,600 smolts were collected at Tobique, with approximately 350 collected during this year’s fall run.
Research conducted by UNB students under Linnansaari’s guidance revealed that these smolts, measuring around five inches, have less than a one percent chance of successfully migrating to the ocean and returning to reproduce.
The decline of the salmon population over the years has raised concerns, with John Perley, a former fisheries director for Tobique First Nation, advocating for the federal recognition of Wolastoq salmon as endangered. Despite scientific assessments labeling the salmon as endangered in 2010 and 2025, political factors have hindered their official designation under the Species at Risk Act.
The process of listing species as endangered involves various scientific and socio-economic considerations, with decisions ultimately resting in the hands of federal politicians. This bureaucratic process has left many frustrated, as endangered listings come with crucial recovery plans to address population decline factors.
Efforts to address these challenges have prompted Wolastoqey representatives, such as Patrick Polchies and Chief Justice Gruben, to voice their concerns before the House of Commons fisheries and oceans committee. They emphasized the historical and cultural significance of salmon to their communities, urging continued support from DFO.
Moving forward, the federal government’s decision on the endangered status of Wolastoq salmon remains pending, with ongoing assessments and considerations of various interests. In the face of these uncertainties, DFO reaffirms its commitment to collaborating with Indigenous communities to safeguard the cultural and spiritual importance of wild Atlantic salmon to the Wolastoqey.
