Quebec fears the expansion of Russian pink salmon in its rivers

The Quebec government fears the expansion of pink salmon in its rivers after the accidental capture of a specimen this summer. The species, which has made the trip from Russia, is considered invasive in the province and could harm the major Rivers with Atlantic salmon.

The alert was struck on July 21 by the Ministry of the Environment, the fight against climate change, fauna and parks (MELCCFP).

A pink salmon was captured in July in the North Shore. It is an invasive expanding species whose establishment we fear in Quebec in the coming yearswrote the ministry in a public opinion.

The specimen in question was accidentally captured in the Natashquan region. It was the sixth observation of a pink salmon in Quebec since 2019, four in the bay of Ungava, in North-du-Québec, and two on the North Shore.

Originally from Russia

Pink salmon is not unknown in Canada. The fish has indeed native populations in the Pacific and the Arctic, where it colonized several rivers from the coasts of British Columbia. A population also lives in the big lakes, where it was accidentally introduced.

Now the one who found himself in Natashquan comes from as far as Russia and has nothing to do with Canadian populations. Ditto for the other five pink salmon observed in Quebec in recent years.

Genetic analyzes have shown that the pink salmon observed in Quebec since 2019 are individuals from the population of pink salmon initially introduced voluntarily in northwest Russia and which also spread in Europeexplains Ève Morin Desrosiers, spokesperson for the ministry.

They seem to have traveled from Europe to the east coast of North America by swimming on their own.

Before these observations, pink salmon had not been reported in Quebec since 1967, according to the MELCCFP. At the time, however, the specimens were linked to a sowing carried out on the Côtes de New-Neuve-et-Labrador.

The reports of pink salmon in Quebec are therefore rather recent.

Don’t panic, but …

The Quebec government for the moment refuses to speak of an expansion of pink salmon in the province, due to the lack of sufficient data.

It is still too early to draw conclusions on the stability or expansion of pink salmon in Quebec, due to the small number of observations so farwe say to MELCCFP.

The concern is however very real and Quebec wants to collect data. The authorities are currently put in place A detection network based on the vigilance of citizens, especially fishermen, in order to better document his presence in Quebec rivers.

It is therefore possible that the number of observations increases in the coming years simply because more people are attentive to identify this speciesspecifies Ève Morin Desrosiers.

The ministry asks fishermen to report their sockets, keep them, photograph them and then freeze them. Discounting is not recommended.

Risk for ecosystems

The situation of pink salmon is closely followed by the Quebec Federation for Atlantic Salmon (FQSA). Even if there are not many observations, it remains disturbingis suitable Myriam Bergeron, Director General of the Federation.

The pink salmon, she says, has already caused problems in Scandinavia.

In Norway, they found themselves in certain rivers with populations which are invasive and which can make significant changes in ecosystemsreports the biologist.

The issues are mainly linked to the life cycle of pink salmon. The latter lives two years, one year at sea after birth and a year in fresh water for reproduction. All of the fish died in the river after the Fray.

If we have a significant amount of fish that die in the river, it can lead to large amounts of organic matterexplains Ms. Bergeron. The accumulation of nutrients could thus modify the habitats normally conducive to Atlantic salmon.

Atlantic salmon rivers are typically poor and typically cold. These are rivers that are not rich in nutrients. We see it with the translucent rivers in Gaspé. The addition of organic matter could promote the development of aquatic plants, modify the limpidity of the watercourse and lower the available oxygen level.

Ms. Bergeron recalls that the Atlantic salmon is vulnerable, after particularly difficult years for mountains in recent years. Any change to its ecosystem could add additional pressure On already fragile populations.

Quebec has also tightened its regulations in anticipation of the 2025 fishing season to protect the species.