River Bush Salmon Tracking in the Coastal Zone?

River Bush Salmon Sta2on

Established in 1973-4. Has adult salmon and smolt traps, and rearing facilities Is the basis of a series of long term databases on salmon survival. Main long term monitoring station for Northern Ireland freshwater/marine survival. Important as a member of the long term salmon monitoring network.

PARR ALEVIN
The complete Atlantic Salmon Lifecycle is monitored through the River Bush research project

SMOLT

OVA

POST SMOLT

ADULT

River Bush Grilse returns have been reducing even though the smolt output has increased!! Highlights low marine survival
9000 8000 No. 1SW Salmon to Coast 7000 6000 5000 15000 4000 3000 2000 5000 1000 0 0 10000 20000 No. Smolts Grilse Smolt run 25000 30000

EXCESSIVE WEED GROWTH

PREDATION

Signicant Unknown Nearshore Smolt Survival

Inshore behaviour, and direc2onality of emigrants. Near shore survival. Interac2ons with predators. New acous2c telemetry proposal would ll a large knowledge gap.

Movement at the Salmon Leap

Determina2on of threshold migra2on ows Inves2ga2on of environmental inuences Poten2al impact of climate change Management recommenda2ons Challenges!

Temporal breakdown of upstream salmon migrants at the salmon leap

20:00-00:00 16:00-20:00

Time Period

12:00-16:00 08:00-12:00 04:00-08:00 00:00-04:00 0 10 20 30 40 50 60

% Total Migrants

Analysis of upstream salmon migrants at the salmon leap in rela2on to light intensity
Dark

Light L evel

Twilight/Dusk

Twilight/Dawn

Light 0 20 40 % Total Migrants 60 80

Foyle Bush Inshore Tracking Project

Loughs Agency Area

DCAL Area

Belfast

LA Area
W
40 0 40 Miles

N E S

Ques2ons
Tag range in nearshore areas? How many receivers? What arrangement? What cost?