Petitcodiac River Causeway-Environmental Impact Assessment Drift Netting Summary

Drift netting was conducted in the Petitcodiac River estuary from the 30-foot Cape Island boat of Victor LeBlanc (captain) with Donald LeBlanc as deck hand. Drift netting involves stringing a series of gill nets together, and playing them off the stern of the boat, which is moving in the direction of the rising tide. The nets were allowed to drift behind the boat on the rising tide for approximately one and one-half hour until just after high tide.

John Bagnall and Andrew McIntyre of AMEC were present for all drift netting field investigations. Julie Theriault, DSS summer student participated on June 25, and Sherry Sparks, DSS EIA Manager participated June 27 and July 03, 2003.

On June 25 and 26, 2003 netting was conducted off Hillsborough, NB. On July 3, 2003, the netting was conducted further south, commencing between Hopewell Cape and Albert Mines, NB. On June 27, 2003, drift netting was conducted in the Petitcodiac estuary in Dieppe, downstream of the Chateau Moncton. All netting sites were located downstream of the Petitcodiac River Causeway.

The netting in the lower estuary employed nets 91.4 m long and 4.9 m deep (300ft long x 16ft deep). Three nets were employed on June 25, and five nets on June 26 and July 3. The netting near Chateau Moncton used 45.7 m x 2.4 m (150 ft x 8 ft) gear. All nets were five-inch stretch mesh.

All shad that were caught were retained and sold commercially with the exception of one, which was retained for scientific examination. All other fish were released alive. Following is a summary of the netting results:

June 25, 2003

29 American Shad caught

The smallest Shad was 43cm (total length).
The largest Shad was 59cm (total length).
The average Shad was 52cm (total length).

1 Atlantic Sturgeon

The fish was approximately 152 cm (5ft long).

June 26, 2003

84 American Shad

The smallest Shad was 18cm (total length).
The largest Shad was 56.5cm (total length).
The average Shad was 48cm (total length).

3 Atlantic Sturgeon

195cm (total length)
177cm (total length)
193cm (total length)

3 Dogfish

81cm (total length)
94cm (total length)
88cm (total length)

June 27, 2003

There were no fish caught on this day. However a dead Atlantic Sturgeon (approx. 122 cm or 4 feet long) was observed floating in the water.

July 03, 2003

28 American Shad

The smallest Shad was 15.5cm (total length).
The largest shad was 56cm (total length).

1 Atlantic Sturgeon

198cm (total length 6’6”)

2 Dogfish

The largest Dogfish was 96cm (total length).

In the 4 days of drift netting, only two gravid (with ripe eggs) American Shad were observed. No ripe males were seen.

On June 25, 2003, another commercial fisherman from Belliveau Village caught 50 Shad, and three of them were gravid.

While fishing off Hillsborough and Albert Mines, the nets could be drifted for only 1 hour and 20 min. because of the tides and accumulated sediment. Because of the extensive sediment accumulation and shallow water in Dieppe, the nets could only be left to drift for approximately one hour.