BANGOR, Maine (AP) — Maine environmental managers say more than 1,000 Atlantic salmon have returned to the Penobscot River this year for the first time since 2011.
Maine Department of Marine Resources scientist Jason Valliere says the total of returning salmon was 1,059 in the middle of July. The returns of salmon to the Penobscot generate a lot of attention from conservationists because the fish are considered endangered by the federal government.
The Bangor Daily News reports less than 700 salmon were counted at the Milford Dam fish lift last year. This year’s total of returns is tentative and subject to change according to the state.
Returns to the river have fluctuated over the years. It’s the most important U.S. river for Atlantic salmon, which return to a handful of rivers to spawn.
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