Historical Archives

Atlantic Salmon Recovery Implementation Plan

Guidance document

Atlantic Salmon Recovery Framework

Guidance document

2015 SHP Smolt Staging

Blank copies of river specific smolt staging databases for 2015 trapping season

2015 PISCAT Smolt Stagin

Blank copies of river specific smolt staging databases for 2015 trapping season

Downeast Salmon Federation Releases Over 140,000 Atlantic Salmon into the East Machias River

The Downeast Salmon Federation has just released over 140,000 juvenile Atlantic salmon, called fall parr, throughout the East Machias River watershed. These juvenile salmon were released into many streams and throughout the mainstem of the river in an effort to restore the once great run of Atlantic salmon to the East Machias River. These fish were raised at the Peter Gray Hatchery located in East Machias at the East Machias Aquatic Research Center (EMARC).

Atlantic Salmon Recovery Framework: 2012 Annual Report

Summary of accomplishments for calendar year 2012

Alewife Runs Open on International St. Croix River

After nearly twenty years of exile from their native waters, alewives will once again migrate up the St. Croix River watershed. The Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) is pleased that Bill LD 72 became law today, requiring state officials to remove barriers to fish passage at Grand Falls Dam. The law comes into effect just in time as the alewives begin their up-river migration to their spawning grounds, and scientists are optimistic that a healthy run will be re-established.

Action Team Chairs

Group (Working Group) space for the AT Chairs that they can use as a clearinghouse and archive for documents, meeting minutes, etc.

Penobscot River Restoration: History, plan and partners for a game-changing restoration

The restoration of the Penobscot River was an unprecedented and innovative effort to remove two dams and build a state-of-the-art fish bypass around a third. As a result, hundreds of miles of habitat along the Penobscot and its tributaries were re-opened for sea-run fish, with tremendous benefits to biological and human communities along the river.

Alewife Runs Open on International St. Croix River

After nearly twenty years of exile from their native waters, alewives will once again migrate up the St. Croix River watershed. The Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) is pleased that Bill LD 72 became law today, requiring state officials to remove barriers to fish passage at Grand Falls Dam. The law comes into effect just in time as the alewives begin their up-river migration to their spawning grounds, and scientists are optimistic that a healthy run will be re-established.

Restoring Spawning Habitat for Maine Sea-run Fish

The Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) announced it has now restored access to 15,000 acres of ponds and lakes and 300 miles of river for Maine’s native sea-run fish. These achievements are part of ASF’s Maine Headwaters Project that is focused on restoring critical spawning habitat to sea-run fish in tributaries identified as high priorities in State of Maine fisheries restoration plans. While the target species are Atlantic salmon and alewives, these restoration projects provide a broad range of benefits for all fish and wildlife along the river corridor.

Alewife Homecoming Celebrated on St. Croix River

Today, Tribal and federal Trustees joined with state and nongovernmental partners and Canadian officials to celebrate the reopening of the Grand Falls Dam fish ladder, which has been closed for more than two decades, limiting river herring to just 2 percent of their historic spawning grounds on the St. Croix River.

Grand Falls and Alewife Celebration (slideshow)

On June 5 a celebration at the Grand Falls Fishway was held, near the banks of the St. Croix River. The event was in honor of the reopening of all the St. Croix to the native alewives. Beginning in 1995, the Maine Legislature had closed the Grand Falls and other fishways to the alewives on the concern they might be adversely impacting the smallmouth bass, an introduced alien species.

Salmon and streams to benefit from new Climate Action Plan in USA

Conservation groups concerned with the preservation and restoration of wild Atlantic salmon in both Canada and the United States can breathe a little easier this week, following President Obama’s announcement on Tuesday that he will unveil a new Climate Action Plan to reduce carbon emissions. The Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) says that the newly unveiled strategy comes at a critical time, since many populations of Atlantic salmon have declined to historically low levels across their North American range.

Experts Share "What Works and What Doesn't" in Restoring Wild Atlantic Salmon

When it comes to the recovery of wild Atlantic salmon stocks, the question on the minds of conservation managers and the public alike is “what works?” In order to synthesize current knowledge on salmon recovery, the Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) is hosting an international workshop that brings together stakeholder groups, scientists, and managers to assess Atlantic salmon recovery programs across Eastern North America. International speakers and participants have been attracted to the conference, which will be held in Chamcook, N.B. on September 18-19, 2013.

Land-based Aquaculture Workshop Breaking New Ground

Scientists and representatives of the aquaculture industry from fourteen countries gathered in Shepherdstown to explore the latest advances in the technology and economics of developing methods to raise Atlantic salmon and other species in ways that remove them from the marine environment.

New Method Could Help to Restore Maine Streams

Poorly designed culverts are blocking the natural movement of brook trout and other aquatic wildlife on thousands of streams across Maine. Restoring free access to habitat is essential to protecting populations of wild brook trout. Maine has more than 80% of the remaining U.S. native stocks of brook trout, so local efforts are significant nationally. A project just completed by Downeast Lakes Land Trust and partners, with support from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, has potential to be a model for cost-effective restoration of aquatic habitat.

Federal Grants Boost Maine Atlantic Salmon Restoration

The Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) is pleased to receive $174,000 for the conservation organization’s Maine Headwaters Project from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Center. The funds are being used to build two fishways on tributary streams as well as replacing two impassable road crossing culverts with fish-friendly bridges. Together, these projects are providing access to 5,400 lake acres and 69 river miles for Atlantic salmon and river herring such as alewives and blueback herring.

The Downeast Salmon Federation Finishes Fin Clipping Effort with Help from the Community.

After only three weeks, the Downeast Salmon Federation, with so much help from the local community, has completed marking all 150,000 juvenile Atlantic salmon for their on-going research project at the East Machias Aquatic Research Center’s Peter Gray Hatchery.

Conservationist Honored for Restoration of Maine's Penobscot River

The Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) is pleased to announce that Laura Rose Day of Hallowell, ME has been selected as the 2013 recipient of the Lee Wulff Atlantic Salmon Conservation Award. The award was presented by Christopher H. Buckley Jr., Chairman of ASF’s U.S Board of Directors, at a meeting in New York City.

Salmon Tour Makes a Splash

The Downeast Lakes Land Trust in partnership with the Grand Lake Stream Fish Hatchery, was pleased to host a tour of the hatchery and a salmon milking demonstration. Community members and students from Indian Township donned hip boots and waded into the hatchery’s frigid waters to sort immature females, and assess gravid females for their readiness to lay eggs.

Maine Salmon Farming Management an Example to Emulate says ASF

The Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) is working in Canada to convince government to implement better controls of the salmon farming industry to protect wild Atlantic salmon and their environment. “We have found,” said Sue Scott, ASF’s VP of Communications,” that the management of salmon farming in Maine holds the industry there to higher standards than is the case in Canada.” -

Federal Grants Boost Maine Atlantic Salmon Restoration

The Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) is pleased to receive $174,000 for the conservation organization’s Maine Headwaters Project from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Center. The funds are being used to build two fishways on tributary streams as well as replacing two impassable road crossing culverts with fish-friendly bridges. Together, these projects are providing access to 5,400 lake acres and 69 river miles for Atlantic salmon and river herring such as alewives and blueback herring.

Atlantic Salmon Federation Seeks Environmental Sustainability in 2014

The Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) wishes wild Atlantic salmon and those that treasure the “King of Fish” a safe and sustainable New Year. ASF has seen some success in 2013 as a charitable organization devoted to conserving wild Atlantic salmon and their environment.

World Fish Migration Day

Welcome to Maine's resource page for World Fish Migration Day!

Atlantic Salmon Recovery Framework Action Team 2012 Report

Annual report of Atlantic Salmon Recovery Framework Action Teams

Dam Removal to Help Restore Spawning Grounds

Under a bright sky here, a convoy of heavy equipment rolled onto the bed of the Penobscot River on Monday to smash the Great Works Dam, a barrier that has blocked the river for nearly two centuries.

Maine Voices: Royal River's journey to future should begin with removal of lower dam

The regional land trust wants the dam gone while the community decides the upper dam’s fate.

Veazie Dam Removal

Veazie Dam Removal will help four sea-run fish to reach historic spawning and nursery areas on Penobscot River system.

Reconnecting the Penobscot River with the Sea: Breaching Veazie Dam on Maine's Penobscot River

Today, a local contractor (Sargent Corporation, Old Town) will begin to remove the Veazie Dam, re-opening the Penobscot River from Old Town, Maine to the sea for the first time in nearly 200 years. The removal of the 830-foot long, 30 foot high buttress-style Veazie Dam, built in 1913, is a monumental step in the Penobscot River Restoration Project, among the largest river restoration efforts in the nation's history. Just last week, another local contractor (R.F. Jordan & Sons Construction, Inc., Ellsworth) completed advance demolition work on the facility's smaller "Plant-B" powerhouse to prepare for the removal of the main dam.

Penobscot River Receives Extreme Makeover

The Atlantic Salmon Federation is celebrating the removal of Veazie Dam and the one year anniversary of the removal of Great Works Dam, both on Maine's Penobscot River.

Penobscot project leader wins conservation award

The Atlantic Salmon Federation announced that Laura Rose Day of Hallowell, Maine is the 2013 recipient of the prestigious Lee Wulff Atlantic Salmon Conservation Award.