Capelin (Mallotus villosus) on the Shores of Ugpi’ganjig

Keshia Moffat wrote:

During a morning run on 14 May 2018, I observed an abundance of Capelin (Mallotus villosus) washed ashore (Figure 1) in the First Nation community of Ugpi’ganjig (also known as Eel River Bar). Ugpi’ganjig is located on the north shore of the province of New Brunswick and more specifically situated at the mouth of the Eel River along the Bay of Chaleur (see Map). Ugpi’ganjig has a 1.3 km shoreline of sandy beaches and various rock formations.

Although capelin are known to strand on the region's sandy shorelines, many local elders of the Ugpi’ganjig community said that capelin washing ashore hasn’t occurred on the shorelines of the community of Ugpi’ganjig since the late 1970s. Many elders told me that they could remember the capelin fishes’ spawning rituals in the 1970s and viewed this type of natural phenomenon as a sign from Mother Earth that our waters were in good health and would produce an abundance of fish life.

According to the St. Lawrence Global Observatory (SLGO, n.d.), capelin are small forage fish from the same family as smelts (Figure 2). This species of fish spawns between three to four years of age, and the spawning begins in Spring and early Summer during those age periods. Capelin are known to spawn in the waves during the night and “roll in” along the shorelines. After the spawning process is complete, most of the male capelin will die and wash ashore. In addition, SLGO (n.d.) noted most observations—approximately 679 observations—occurred on sandy beaches with water temperatures ranging from 6℃ to 10℃. The ecological importance of capelin stem from their role in the food chain as a highly productive and high-quality 'forage fish' species consumed by larger fish, marine mammals, and seabirds. A large abundance of capelin enables high production of higher trophic level species (Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 2009, p. 4).

I was intrigued when I saw these fish firsthand on the shoreline during my morning run. My initial thought was that there was some sort of contamination flowing into this area of water causing this unusual fish mortality. The community reported the sighting to the local Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) told the community that this was a natural process for this type of fish.

I am deeply rooted in the history of my community along with its traditional knowledge, so I am interested in learning why the Capelin was apparently absent from the mouth of the Eel River for approximately forty-eight years, and why it has suddenly re-appeared. Furthermore, I wonder if, with the ever-growing occurrence of climate change and overfishing, the appearance of Capelin on the shores of Ugpi’ganjig in 2018 still indicates that the waters of Ugpi’ganjig will have a restored abundance of fish life.