The Gaspereau River – Black River watershed supports a stock of anadromous alewives (Alosa pseudoharengus) that is fished both commercially and recreationally as it ascends the river to spawn. Since 1964, this spawning run has averaged about 1.1 million fish. The catch in 1999 (4,772 pails) was two thirds of the 1964 – 1999 mean catch and 85% the median catch for the same time period.

 A count of alewives ascending the White Rock fish ladder indicated that 81,326 fish ascended the ladder in 1999, the lowest of 6 counts since 1982. The size of the spawning run was estimated at c.771,000 fish. This estimate is biased low because fish that are not taken by the fishery and that do not ascend the ladder are not included in the estimate. During 1999, alewives were on average the smallest in any assessment of this stock to date. Only 2 year classes of females and 3 year classes of males were present in 1999 (non-impacted stocks may have up to 7 year classes). Because the river water level effects the efficiency (and legality) of fishing traps as well as the effectiveness of the White Rock fish ladder, collaboration between commercial fishers, DFO and NSPI prior to and during the fishing season is essential to reduce the impact on this stock.

Seaward migration of young-of-the-year alewives was monitored at the Trout River Pond diversion screen between August 17^th and October 15^th. Just under 1 million alewives were estimated to have moved seaward via the bypass stream during that time. Improvements to the entrance of the bypass stream in 1999 appear to substantially reduce the amount of time alewives spend upstream of the screens prior to moving into the bypass stream.