River Bush Salmon Tracking in the Coastal Zone?

River Bush Salmon Station

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 30000

Grilse
8000 Smolt run No. 1SW Salmon to Coast 7000 6000 5000 15000 4000 3000 2000 5000 1000 10000 20000 No. Smolts 25000

EXCESSIVE WEED GROWTH

PREDATION

Significant Unknown Nearshore Smolt Survival

Inshore behaviour, and directionality of emigrants. Near shore survival. Interactions with predators. New acoustic telemetry proposal would fill a large knowledge gap.

Movement at the Salmon Leap

Determination of threshold migration flows Investigation of environmental influences Potential impact of climate change Management recommendations 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 relation to light intensity
Dark

Light Level

Twilight/Dusk

Twilight/Dawn

Light

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

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