[NatureNS] Northumberland Strait silversides

From: Ken McKenna <kenmcken@eastlink.ca>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
References: <DBFC7446D77D4214B0ECA2618CFF2825@KEN>
Date: Wed, 07 Dec 2011 11:51:15 -0400
Precedence: bulk
Return-Path: <naturens-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>
Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

next message in archive
next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects


This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

--Boundary_(ID_U+D0s8vZARARytV5zt0n5Q)
Content-type: text/plain; CHARSET=US-ASCII
Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable


Ken McKenna
Box 218 Stellarton NS
B0K 1S0
902 752-7644

Hi Paul
Thanks for your comments. As far as I know there used to be a Striped =
Bass fishery ( recreational) in Pictou Co. as I used to see fishermen at =
the outflow from the Trenton power plant. The fishermen have not been =
there for a number of years now so I assumed no fish or that the s. bass =
fishery is closed for this area. I know several years back there was a =
large=20
fill kill there ( Striped bass I think) with some sort of winter =
temperature inversion which attracted a hoard of Eagles.  Guess I need =
to find someone in DFO so I can get a bit more informed on the issue. I =
think the silverside fishery is to provide bait for US rec. fishery.=20
Maybe this commercial fishery is not at a sustainable at this rate. Just =
speculation on my part. I have no idea what research was done prior to =
opening the NS silverside fishery and how it is being monitored. I do =
remember as a student back in the mid-70's that I did a research paper =
on silversides for the PEI Dept. of Fisheries and at the time my feeling =
was that this species was a food source for so many others and should =
not be exploited.
Paul, thanks for the info on the Quebec stocking of Striped Bass.=20
cheers
ken

 ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Paul MacDonald=20
  To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20
  Sent: Wednesday, December 07, 2011 10:08 AM
  Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Snow Goose+ Where are Bonaparte's Gull =
concentrations?+ RB Woodpeckers


  Hi Ken
  Silversides used to be very plentiful in the Northumberland Strait.
  I'm hearing reports of big concentrations of them in Margaree lately.
  I never get much time in that area any more so have no first hand =
knowledge.
  However there is reports of large numbers of Striped Bass in the =
Strait.
  I'm susprised Bancroft would not be aware of that.
  Quebec is stocking them in the St Lawrence - it was a wonderful =
fishery at one time.
  Them and sturgoen where the main fish for the weir fishery below =
Quebec City.
  I had a wonderful talk with my wife's cousin of the fishery. It was =
his main source of
  income for many years. You learn a lot talking with fishermen - even =
if they only speak French!
  There is some thought that they migrate out the St Lawrence and along =
the Maritime
  coast to feed on Silversides. As there is no legal fishery, reports =
are from by catch by
  trout anglers - an open season is a bit complicated what with the =
Quebec stockings.
  Hard to predict the effect on the Silversides but should be include in =
the discussion.
  I know bird watchers are shy about talking to anglers when they are on =
the wharf
  but you might run it by any that you see.
  Thanks for the report
  Paul









-------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-----
  From: Ken McKenna <kenmcken@eastlink.ca>
  To: NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>=20
  Sent: Wednesday, December 7, 2011 9:36:39 AM
  Subject: [NatureNS] Snow Goose+ Where are Bonaparte's Gull =
concentrations?+ RB Woodpeckers



  Ken McKenna
  Box 218 Stellarton NS
  B0K 1S0
  902 752-7644

  Hi all
  Yesterday afternoon, Bob Bancroft and I did a little road tour around =
Pictou Harbour prior to Bob's presentation to Pictou Co. Naturalist's =
last night. Of note was a Snow Goose with Canada Geese in a yard near =
the end of Company Rd. in Abercrombie. This looks like the bird that was =
on the Glen Lovatt and Linacy Golf Courses last week. Maybe it had just =
done a round at the Abercrombie course!!
  I was commenting to Bob on the lack of large concentrations of =
Bonaparte's Gulls and mergansers this fall and early winter in both =
Antigonish and Pictou Co. Numbers are no where near what has been =
typical for the last decade and either I am just missing birds that are =
around, or something is happening that is changing their migration =
pattern. At times there are mergansers still not as many as in the past. =
I also notice that scaup in the Pictou rivers are not in the usual =
numbers either. I am wondering if something is happening to the food =
supply to change the migration pattern. As far as I can tell, the =
mergansers and Bonaparte's Gulls are here because of Atlantic =
silversides. I know that for the last few years there is an experimental =
fishery being allowed in Antigonish Co. and Bob said also on PEI. I have =
a suspicion that the fishing pressure might be too heavy and there is no =
longer the food for the thousands of small gulls and mergansers that =
were wonderful to watch feeding frenzies. It is my feeling that this =
experimental fishery should be examined closely.=20

  At the meeting Harriet MacMillan from Lochaber reported Red-bellied =
Woodpecker in Lochaber and another in the West river area of Antigonish =
Co.=20

  Ken



--Boundary_(ID_U+D0s8vZARARytV5zt0n5Q)
Content-type: text/html; CHARSET=US-ASCII
Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" http-equiv=Content-Type>
<META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 8.00.6001.19154"></HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Ken McKenna<BR>Box 218 Stellarton NS<BR>B0K 1S0<BR>902 752-7644<BR></DIV>
<DIV>Hi Paul</DIV>
<DIV>Thanks for your comments. As far as I know there used to be a Striped Bass 
fishery ( recreational) in Pictou Co. as I used to see fishermen at the outflow 
from the Trenton power plant. The fishermen have not been there for a number of 
years now so I assumed no fish or that the s. bass fishery is closed for this 
area. I know several years back there was a large </DIV>
<DIV>fill kill there ( Striped bass I think)&nbsp;with some sort of winter 
temperature inversion which attracted a hoard of Eagles. &nbsp;Guess I need to 
find someone in DFO so I can get a bit more informed on the issue. I think the 
silverside fishery is to provide bait for US rec. fishery. </DIV>
<DIV>Maybe this commercial fishery&nbsp;is not&nbsp;at a sustainable at this 
rate. Just speculation on my part. I have no idea what research was done prior 
to opening the NS silverside&nbsp;fishery and how it is being monitored. I do 
remember as a student&nbsp;back in the mid-70's that I did a research paper on 
silversides for the PEI Dept. of Fisheries and at the time my feeling was that 
this species was a food source for so&nbsp;many others and should not be 
exploited.</DIV>
<DIV>Paul, thanks for the info on the Quebec stocking of Striped Bass. </DIV>
<DIV>cheers</DIV>
<DIV>ken</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE 
style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN