Annapolis and Digby counties have the best of both worlds. We have both
saltwater and freshwater fish. In our lakes and streams, one can find brook trout,
speckled trout, and small mouth bass. The saltwaters of the Bay of Fundy are home to
such species as flounder, mackerel, monkfish, hake, shark, and eels to name a few. We have
descriptions of three of the most important species both ecologically and economically to
the Bay of Fundy area.
Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar)
Atlantic salmon numbers are low in the area, having been affected in the past by
industrial activities, which caused or contributed to acid rain levels and fish passage
constraints. While there are very few returning natural stocks of salmon, there are
returning stocks of hatchery fish. Groups such as the Clean Annapolis River Project, local
fish and game groups, and the Bear River First Nations Band (to name a few) are working not
only to raise and release fish to enhance future populations, but also to restore fish stock in the local rivers and streams. The decline of naturally returning salmon has
been seen as a sign that steps need to be taken to improve the health of our waters and
adapt current practices to be less intrusive on the ecosystem.
Herring
The Herring family includes shad, sardines, and true herring. They are one of the most
populous species of fish in the area. They travel in huge schools, sometimes several km in
size. The fact that they travel in a large mass, and are a small fish, makes them prime food for many species of fish and whales.
These small, bony fish range in colour from silver to a bluish-green on the sides with a
white underbelly and have two sets of small teeth and thin scales. They feed on
zooplankton and migrate annually. They spawn in shallow areas with a generally gravel
bottom, laying anywhere from 20,000 to 180,000 eggs which will settle to the bottom, hiding
in crevices or being covered by sea weed and debris. Herring do not reach maturity until
their fourth or fifth year. Populations of herring dropped between 1970 to 1980, and, while
not widely consumed by humans, they are used extensively in agriculture and industry.
Cod
There are twenty-one species of cod in Canada; these include haddock, pollock, cusk,
hake and the Atlantic Cod. The Atlantic Cod is one of the most heavily harvested and economically important fish in the maritimes. While this is true for the region, as
a whole, the Bay of Fundy area is more reliant on the lobster and scallop fishery than
anything else.
The Atlantic Cod have a long heavy body with a large head and strong mouth with a
fleshy growth on the lower jaw called a barbell. They have three dorsal (back) fins and
two anal fins with an almost square caudal or tail fin. They have smooth scales and range
in color from grey to silvery-green to a brownish-red. They average three to four kg but
may weigh as much as 90 kg.
They are bottom-dwellers that spawn in the cooler months. A 100 cm long female
produces up to 5 million eggs. Cod will hatch and grow at different rates depending on
the water temperature: the colder it is, the longer they will take to hatch and the slower
they will grow. Young cod rely on plankton and small bottom-creatures for food, while
mature cod are voracious eaters and mainly eat capelin and herring.
