Physiological and energetic correlates of en route mortality for abnormally early migrating adult sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) in the Thompson River, British Columbia

Since 1995, large segments of the late-run sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) stock complex from the Fraser River, British Columbia, Canada, have been initiating spawning migrations several weeks earlier than normal. Most aberrant migrants die before spawning. To evaluate the mechanisms underlying the mortality, we intercepted late-run sockeye salmon of the Adams–Shuswap stock complex halfway along their freshwater migration (i.e., in the Thompson River Canyon situated 270 km from the Fraser estuary), nonlethally assessed physiological and energetic status, and tracked individuals using gastrically inserted radio transmitters. Aberrant migrants that resumed their migration but failed to reach the spawning grounds had lower gross somatic energy, higher average migration ground speeds, higher plasma osmolality, and higher levels of plasma reproductive hormones than those that reached the spawning grounds. Fish surgically fitted with electromyogram radio transmitters did not continue their migration and fell downstream. These fish displayed excessive bleeding during transmitter implantation, an unusual phenomenon that likely contributed to the fish's inability to resume migration. Blood clotting time decreased steadily throughout the migration period. Collectively, these data implicate a combination of energy depletion, premature reproductive development, and blood loss from wounds as potential contributors to mortality in early migrating late-run sockeye.