Plan St-Laurent - Pour un développement durable

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Upper North Shore – The search for smelt spawning grounds

Is the anadromous rainbow smelt population of the Upper North Shore experiencing the same decline as the population in the southern estuary?  A project being conducted by the Rive nord de l’estuaire ZIP Committee may provide an answer to this question.  The goal of this project is to acquire and share knowledge about the status of the species in the area and its potential breeding habitats.  The immediate objective is to identify other spawning grounds in addition to the two officially known sites within the territory covered by the ZIP Committee and, eventually, suggest protection measures.

Photo: Julien Verdier

At least three genetically distinct populations of rainbow smelt are found in the waters of the north shore of the St. Lawrence.  Over the past 40 years, the population in the southern estuary has declined significantly due to degradation of its spawning sites, to the point that the species was added to the list of threatened or vulnerable species in Quebec in 2005.  However, there is also cause for concern about the status of the north shore populations.  A number of fishers as well as scientists have repeatedly expressed their concerns about the decline in catches of this small silvery fish, measuring less than 20 cm, that lives in schools.  The commercial fishery was even suspended in 2005 as a precautionary measure.

Photo: Julien Verdier

It is in this context that the ZIP Committee, in partnership with the Ministère des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune du Québec, and with financial assistance from the Community Interaction Program of the St. Lawrence Plan, has undertaken a search for spawning grounds in the three rivers in the area that appear to offer suitable habitat.  Other partners in this project include Hydro-Québec, Fisheries and Oceans Canada as well as the Laval River ZEC (controlled harvesting zone).

Laval River Photo: M. Julien Verdier

In 2006, field work carried out in the Éperlan River failed to identify any spawning grounds or to confirm the presence of the species in the river.  However, during exploration work conducted in the Laval River in the spring of 2007, about 50 mature smelts ready to spawn or that had just spawned were found.  However, since these fish were caught at the mouth of the river, it is not known whether they were just passing through the sector or were about to run up the river to spawn.  Even the free diving sessions at the candidate sites failed to yield any conclusive evidence. 

Another component of the project is aimed at informing fishers and riverside property owners about the precarious status of the smelt and about steps they can take to protect the fish and its habitat.  A brochure and a poster on this subject have been distributed.  The brochure will soon be available on the ZIP Committee’s Web site at www.zipnord.qc.ca. 

On April 30, 2008, a workshop, expected to be attended by approximately 40 participants (managers, fishers, etc.), will be held in order to review the status of the smelt in the area and discuss possible protection measures.  The ZIP Committee is hoping that this workshop will provide an opportunity to draw on traditional knowledge that may be helpful in providing guidance for future searches.

For more information:

Marie-Hélène Cloutier
Rive nord de l’estuaire ZIP Committee
Tel.: 418‑296‑0404, ext. 222
E-mail: marie.helene.cloutier@zipnord.qc.ca.