We have a new record!!
We are pleased to inform you that the salmon return for Corner Brook Stream for this summer was 183.
This is a new record, eclipsing the previous one of 151 in the years 2010 and 2016
Where it all began:
Salmon eggs on a tray at the former Hughes Brook Hatchery. Broodstock was collected from the Humber and Hughes Brook. The fish were transported to the Hughes Brook hatchery and kept there until they were ready to release their eggs. They were then stripped and the eggs fertilized. After a few days recovery we took them to Brake’s Cove near Humber Mouth and released them.
At the fry stage they were transplanted into Corner Brook Stream for 3 years at 12,000- 15,000 eggs at a time.
Fry at Hughes Hatchery -ready for transfer to the Stream
Several years after the transplants we electro-fished C. Bk Stream to collect adipose fin samples for DNA analysis at Dalhousie university. From this came an amazing discovery!
Three students, plus ASF (Don Ivany), and SPAWN (Keith Piercey) collected the samples. (The student on the right, Brad Butler, went on to complete studies in Biology and now works with DFO in British Columbia)
The DNA Results showed that the original stock, landlocked for 85 years had mixed with adults from Humber and Hughes fish. The original C Bk. Stream salmon passed on their DNA and it is now the dominant DNA in the Stream’s salmon!!
The block 1 shows a mixture of DNA from Hughes Brook (Blue) , Humber River (Green), and the original Corner Brook Stream fish (Red). The mixture in block one has a dominant DNA from the land-locked salmon.
Some photos collected over the years: