Attention Anglers fishing King Salmon in Niagara County waters during May 2016

[yogi69]

Attention Anglers fishing King Salmon in Niagara County waters during May 2016

 

Like the Beatles song goes, we all need a little help from our friends – and this is the perfect time to lend a hand … while you are fishing! The Niagara County Fisheries Development Board working with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Niagara River Anglers Association (NRAA) and Lake Ontario Trout & Salmon Association (LOTSA) want to get a better understanding of the makeup of the large number of Chinook salmon that show up along the Niagara County shoreline every May.

 

This coming May 2016, many of the three-year-old class of Chinook salmon will have their adipose fin missing (clipped) if they were raised in the Salmon River Fish Hatchery. And if that fin is clipped, the fish will have a coded wire tag implanted in their head that identifies their stocking type (direct versus pen reared) and their stocking location. Biologists need the head for the study.

 

In order to obtain this information, we need the help of all anglers fishing out of the ports of Fort Niagara/Youngstown, Wilson and Olcott. We are requesting the head from any Chinook salmon caught in the month of May that is harvested for food and has its adipose fin missing. Only 3 year old kings with the adipose fin missing. These heads can be placed in a bag and then in freezers located at Fort Niagara, Wilson and Olcott in specific locations (Fort Niagara State Park next to the fish cleaning station; Bootlegger’s Cove Marina next to the ship’s store; Wilson Boat Yard next to the Gas Shack; Wilson-Tuscarora State Park near the fish cleaning station; and the Town of Newfane Marina, Olcott adjacent to the fish cleaning station. The DEC will collect the heads from the freezers, as well as analyze the data so that it can be used as another piece of information to help with management of the king salmon program.

 

This is the last year class of Chinook salmon that were clipped and marked in the lake. Therefore it is our last chance to capture this important data to help with managing the Chinook salmon program in Lake Ontario. Assisting with this program is a win-win situation for all – you will be helping yourself as well as your fellow anglers. We all need a little help from our friends!

 

Bill Hilts Jr.

SnoutcollectionInstructionsSimple.pdf

Edited April 23, 2016 by yogi69

[RUNNIN REBEL]

Thanks for headsup with tournament season starting up west.  We will save what we get.

[Tall Tails]

This is a good idea.  To bad it should have been done from the beginning south shore wide..  We will do our part.

[BozotheClown365]

This is a good idea. To bad it should have been done from the beginning south shore wide.. We will do our part.

I think it was done from the beginning...DEC has had freezers in several locations along the south shore throughout the fishing season for years. Info was posted on LOU several times. Trick is getting people to take the time to put the heads in the freezers.

[scobar]

keep this at the top for all to read, I never knew this