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2024. 2025. 2026. Time is against the salmon. For the past two years, one question has been constantly recurring in my mind: how much longer does the salmon have before we finally make the necessary decisions? By 2024, many of us were already sounding the alarm. Low salmon runs, increasingly frequent heat waves, low water levels, and the effects of high temperatures on salmon survival were already well documented. Scientific studies existed. Biologists were discussing it. Anglers were observing it firsthand. We already knew that heat waves could jeopardize the survival of released salmon and reduce their ability to reach spawning grounds and reproduce. https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/2093710/remise-eau-obligatoire-saumons Despite all this, the measures remained timid. We were told that the rivers shouldn't be closed, that management organizations needed the revenue generated by fishing to continue their mission, and that the presence of anglers helped limit poaching. I understand these concerns. I understand the importance of the work done by the ZECs (Controlled Harvesting Zones), associations, and management organizations. Radio Canada video published May 25 at 8:18 a.m. EDT by Alexandre Courtemanche https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/2256401/saumon-eau-chaude-interdiction-peche But I ask myself a very simple question: what will these revenues be used for if the populations continue to collapse? If some rivers soon no longer have enough salmon to support fishing, what will be left to manage? The 2025 season was supposed to bring us some hope. Yet, the fish runs did not improve significantly. Several rivers remained open despite the still worrying returns. Once again, structural measures were postponed. We continued to hope that the situation would eventually correct itself, even though everything indicated the opposite. It's now 2026. This year, nature has given us a gift. Since the beginning of the season, the water has remained high and cold. For salmon, these are almost ideal conditions. After the last few years, this weather gives us a glimmer of hope and offers the fish a much less stressful upstream migration. But this respite is fragile. July is fast approaching. We all know that a single heat wave can turn a river upside down in just a few days. Water levels drop, temperatures rise, and the stress on salmon increases rapidly. Yet, despite what we've learned over the years, Quebec still lacks a truly uniform heat protocol to protect all salmon in all its rivers. The initial data from several fish passes are not particularly reassuring. Yes, the season is still young, and a significant portion of the grilse have yet to arrive. They will likely give us the best indication of what actually happened at sea. Did the smolts that departed in the spring of 2025 successfully complete their incredible migration? Did they find enough food? Did they survive predation, changes in the marine ecosystem, and all the challenges that awaited them? We'll know very soon. I sincerely hope there will be many of these madeleines. I hope they will finally give us back a little hope. But one question haunts me. Are we ready to welcome them... better than we have welcomed our large salmon so far? This question isn't just for sport fishermen. It's for all of us. The ministry. Management bodies. Associations. The Federation. Biologists. Managers. Fishermen. Everyone who, directly or indirectly, makes decisions that influence the future of salmon. Are we finally ready to put our survival before our habits? Are we ready to act before another heatwave hits? Are we prepared to protect the last remaining breeders rather than managing their losses once it is too late? For the past two years, we have known that some populations are extremely vulnerable. We know that high temperatures increase the risks associated with releasing salmon. We also know that, on many rivers, every salmon that reaches the spawning grounds can make a difference for the next generation. So why are we still waiting? Why should salmon from one river be entitled to different protection than those from another river? Why wait until the water reaches critical levels before making decisions that we know are inevitable? In my view, Quebec should implement a genuine heat protocol across all its salmon rivers. A uniform, transparent protocol based on scientific knowledge. Salmon know neither administrative boundaries nor management territories. They all deserve the same protection. I also believe that, as long as the salmon runs remain so weak, the mandatory catch and release of all salmon should be applied to all rivers in Quebec. Not because sport fishing is responsible for the decline. She is not. The problems are numerous and largely lie at sea. But when some rivers have only a few dozen or a hundred salmon left, every preventable death becomes significant. Every female that reaches the spawning grounds represents thousands of eggs. Every surviving adult increases the chances of rebuilding the population. The most worrying thing about all this is that time keeps passing. We have been in discussions since 2024. Since 2025, we hope. It is now 2026. While we continue to debate the same issues, the salmon keep returning in far too few numbers. The calendar waits for no one. Every lost season weakens a generation a little more. Unlike us, salmon cannot postpone their migration to the following year. They only have one chance to complete their life cycle. I refuse to believe that we must wait until some rivers are practically empty before making courageous decisions. If we continue to act only when populations are on the verge of collapse, we will always be a season—and sometimes a generation—behind. The Atlantic salmon is much more than a fish. It is part of our history. It has shaped our rivers, our communities, and our identity for centuries. We have had the privilege of seeing it return from the sea, of admiring it, photographing it, and fishing for it with respect. Today, it is our turn to return that respect. The small salmon that are about to return may offer us a new reason for hope. If so, we will also have an immense responsibility: to welcome them better than we have welcomed our large salmon until now. This will require courage. This will require putting aside certain short-term interests. This will require making decisions that may not be unanimously accepted. But if these decisions allow more salmon to reach spawning grounds today, they will also offer a better chance to future generations. Ultimately, the real question is no longer whether we know the problem. We've known him for a long time. The real question is much simpler. Will we finally have the courage to act while there is still time... or will we continue to wait until the day when salmon no longer need protection because they have disappeared from our rivers?

The Atlantic salmon's arduous journey When we talk about the decline of Atlantic salmon, one question constantly comes up: what is responsible? For years, we've been searching for a simple answer to a problem that is anything but simple. One year, we talk about climate change. The next, striped bass. Then come seals, aquaculture, disease, food shortages, bycatch, or even heat waves in rivers. Each new study adds another piece to the puzzle. Yet, I sometimes get the feeling that we look at each of these pieces separately, without ever taking the time to see the whole picture. It was this reflection that led me to develop a hypothesis that I call Running the Gauntlet . I don't claim to have found the answer to the salmon decline. What I'm proposing is simply another way to observe its journey. A hypothesis that, in my opinion, deserves to be studied. When a salmon smolt leaves its river in the spring, it's not just beginning a migration. It's embarking on what is likely the most dangerous journey of its life. Its instinct drives it out to sea, towards the feeding grounds of Greenland, where it will spend one or two winters before returning to spawn in its native river. Between these two destinations lie thousands of kilometers... and an almost uninterrupted succession of dangers. While observing the downstream migration dates of salmon smolts on several Quebec rivers, one detail caught my attention. In the Saguenay River, young salmon generally leave their home river between late May and early June. On the Rivière de la Trinité, this migration occurs about a week later. The further east one travels, towards the Upper North Shore, the Minganie region, and the Lower North Shore, the later the downstream migration becomes, sometimes extending into early July. This progression is logical: the colder waters delay the development of the smolts. But while looking at this map, another observation came to me. While the salmon smolts gradually migrate eastward, the striped bass also appears to be progressively moving up the St. Lawrence River and the North Shore. Today, it is well established in the Saguenay Fjord and its presence is increasingly common at the mouths of many North Shore rivers. I want to be extremely cautious: I'm not claiming that striped bass follow salmon smolts. I have no scientific evidence to support such a claim. But when two phenomena appear to occur in the same corridor and at overlapping times, it seems legitimate to wonder whether this synchronization could have an impact on the survival of young salmon. This is where, in my opinion, the discussion becomes interesting. The real issue isn't the striped bass. The real issue is the buildup of pressure. The salmon smolt never encounters a single obstacle. It must cross estuaries teeming with predators. It must avoid seals, fish-eating birds, large fish, and possibly large concentrations of striped bass. It must also find enough food to continue its migration. Sand eels, capelin, herring, amphipods, and the other small prey it depends on are also sought after by numerous species. The salmon smolt, therefore, doesn't just fight to avoid being eaten; it also fights to find food. Then comes the ocean. There, too, the challenges multiply: competition for food, climate change, parasites, diseases, shifts in prey distribution, and, on some migratory routes, marine aquaculture operations. After one or two winters, when it finally begins the return journey, the ordeal starts all over again. The seals are still there. Heat waves affect some rivers. Low water levels complicate the migration. Natural and man-made obstacles add to the already accumulated stress. And perhaps that's where the heart of my hypothesis lies. We are studying seals. We are studying the striped bass. We are studying climate change. We are studying aquaculture. We study diseases. But how many studies actually look at the cumulative effect of all these pressures on a single salmon, throughout its journey? In my view, that's exactly what Running the Gauntlet is all about. The salmon doesn't face a single threat. It must survive a series of trials that begin as soon as it leaves its river and only end when it returns to spawn. Perhaps I'm wrong. Perhaps this hypothesis will one day be completely refuted. And if so, all the better. That's precisely the role of science. But I sincerely believe this question deserves to be asked. Because by constantly searching for someone to blame, we might miss the real problem: it's not a single threat that's causing the salmon to disappear. It's perhaps the accumulation of all the others.

We formalize the bare minimum and are content with that. While the rivers are heating up, protection remains limited. The ministry's announcement regarding the temporary closure of certain rivers when the water temperature exceeds 22°C in the morning is, in my opinion, good news. For what? Because it finally officially recognizes a reality that many fishermen, biologists and managers have observed for years: when a river reaches certain temperatures, the salmon enters a zone of significant physiological stress where its recovery capacity decreases considerably. The ministry itself acknowledges that catch and release can then become problematic and that the survival of salmon can be compromised. This is an important observation, as it confirms what many have been saying for a long time: at certain temperatures, even fishing carried out with the best intentions can have significant consequences for the resource. I fully agree with this measure. But this announcement raises several important questions. Why only four rivers? Why do the Malbaie, the Rivière à Mars, the Petit-Saguenay and the Saint-Jean du Saguenay benefit from a closure protocol when several rivers on the North Shore are experiencing exactly the same realities? I'm thinking of Saint Marguerite River I'm thinking of the Godbout. I'm thinking of Pentecote. I'm thinking of the Aux Rochers River. I'm thinking of Les Escoumins. I'm thinking of Laval. I'm thinking of the Saint-Jean Côte-Nord. I'm thinking of Mingan. I'm thinking of the mighty Moisie. I am also thinking of the rivers of Anticosti and several rivers in the Gaspé Peninsula which are also experiencing significant heat waves. But I am thinking above all of the Trinité. For what? Because the Trinité River is not like any other. The Trinité is a monitoring river. For decades, the Ministry has been collecting essential data on Atlantic salmon there. Ministry employees are present throughout the season. They count the salmon, track the runs, analyze the returns, measure water temperatures, and likely possess one of the best salmon databases in Quebec. When days reach 25°C, 27°C, or even 29°C and the nights remain abnormally warm, the Ministry knows it. It doesn't learn about it after the fact. It observes it in real time. This is precisely what makes the situation difficult to understand. If a reference river like the Trinité, where the most complete data is available and where biologists are present in the field throughout the season, does not automatically trigger a reflection on the application of a thermal protocol, then what conditions must be met before taking action? In my view, the Trinité River should be one of the first rivers used to guide management decisions during extreme heat events, not one of the notable omissions in the current protocol. And if a reference river isn't used to trigger protective measures when conditions become critical, then it's legitimate to question the purpose of all the data collected over decades. The salmon of the North Shore are no different from those of the Saguenay. At 22°C, a salmon remains a salmon. Physiology does not change according to administrative boundaries. If the ministry acknowledges that thermal stress justifies a closure on certain rivers, why is this same principle not applied everywhere where the same conditions exist? The question deserves to be asked. But in my view, the debate shouldn't stop at sport fishing. If the ministry acknowledges that a salmon is stressed enough that releasing it can be fatal, then it must also recognize that any unnecessary disturbance becomes problematic. During periods of extreme heat, salmon often congregate in a few thermal refuges where the water remains cooler. These shelters then become vital zones for survival. Each forced displacement. Each leak. Every inconvenience. Every additional expenditure of energy. All of this increases the stress experienced by the fish. The problem, therefore, is not solely sport fishing. The problem is the additional stress imposed on an animal already at the limit of its physiological capacity. At certain critical times, the best salmon to release is probably the one that no one has disturbed. That is why the discussion should go beyond just sport fishing. When a river reaches critical temperatures, all activities that could disturb salmon in thermal refuges should be reassessed. If the goal is truly conservation, any disturbance must be minimized when the fish are most vulnerable. And this brings us to another topic that is far too rarely discussed: forest cover. You can't discuss heat stress without talking about trees. The trees lining rivers play a vital role in the survival of salmon. They provide shade. They limit the warming of the water. They contribute to maintaining thermal shelters. They stabilize the riverbanks. They contribute to the overall health of the ecosystem. However, over the years, some interventions have sometimes prioritized access to fishing at the expense of riparian vegetation. I'm not saying that all brush clearing is bad. Some interventions are necessary. But in a context where climate change is already increasing water temperatures, every mature tree protecting a pool is probably more valuable today than it was thirty years ago. Across North America, specialists are now talking about restoring riparian buffer strips, protecting forest cover, and creating shade corridors as climate change adaptation measures. For what? Because a river that stays cold requires fewer closures. A river that maintains its thermal refuges naturally protects its salmon. A river that retains its forest cover is better prepared to face tomorrow's heat waves. The ministry's announcement is therefore a step in the right direction. However, it seems more like treating the symptoms than a truly comprehensive strategy. Temporarily closing a river when the water reaches a critical level is a good measure. Protecting the habitats that allow this river to remain cold is just as important. In my view, three priorities should guide the coming years. First, extend thermal protocols to all rivers where conditions warrant it. Secondly, aggressively protect thermal refuges and riparian forest cover. Third, minimize any disturbance to salmon when they are already experiencing critical heat stress. The government now recognizes that heat stress can make fishing incompatible with salmon conservation. He has the data. It has the regulatory tools. He has the means to intervene. So why not apply this logic everywhere salmon live in the same conditions? Because in the end, salmon don't care about administrative borders. He is not concerned with economic interests. He does not concern himself with the debates between fishermen, managers or organizations. He's simply trying to survive. And if we truly want to listen to the salmon, we must begin by giving it peace when it is most vulnerable. Because the real victim of this crisis is neither the fisherman, nor the ZEC, nor the management bodies, nor even the FQSA, whose mandate is in particular to make recommendations to the ministry. The real victim is the salmon itself, the one that continues to pay the price for inaction. The real victim is the salmon itself. And it is the salmon that we claim to want to save.

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Discover our Online Store's Politique de confidentialité, outlining how we protect your data. Learn about our commitment to privacy and security. All posts (67) 67 posts No categories yet. Privacy Policy Article 1 – Renseignements personnels recueillis Lorsque vous effectuez un achat sur notre boutique, dans le cadre de notre processus d’achat et de vente, nous recueillons les renseignements personnels que vous nous fournissez, tels que votre nom, votre adresse et votre adresse e-mail. Lorsque vous naviguez sur notre boutique, nous recevons également automatiquement l’adresse de protocole Internet (adresse IP) de votre ordinateur, qui nous permet d’obtenir plus de détails au sujet du navigateur et du système d’exploitation que vous utilisez. Marketing par e-mail (le cas échéant): Avec votre permission, nous pourrions vous envoyer des e-mails au sujet de notre boutique, de nouveaux produits et d’autres mises à jour. Article 2 - Consentement Comment obtenez vous mon consentement? 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