Anadromous Fish

Anadromous Fish. . , Anadromous fish live most of their adult lives in marine waters and return to their freshwater streams to spawn. Juvenile fish hatched on the spawning grounds remain in these protected nursery areas. At a certain age these fish begin migrating downstream to Long Island Sound and eventually out into ocean waters. These young fish. learn the distinct odor of their home waters and use this scent to return as adults. Anadromous fish of the Connecticut River basin include Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon, blueback herring, alewife, American shad, Atlantic salmon, sea-run brown trout, rainbow smelt, white perch, sea lamprey and striped bass, although striped bass are believed not to spawn in Connecticut., Historically an important resource, anadromous fish were once abundant in the Connecticut River. Dam construction in the late 1700s and early 1800s prevented adult fish from reaching their spawning grounds. Increased fishing pressure, water pollution from industrial discharge, human sewage and habitat degradation reduced anadromous fish populations to very low levels. In 1966, fishery agencies representatives from the Connecticut River states (CT, MA, VT and NH), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service organized a cooperative program to restore Atlantic salmon, American shad and other anadromous species to the Connecticut River., Presently, many anadromous species have rebounded due to stricter pollution control measures, improved management of commercial and recreational fishing and the construction of fishways.