Atlantic salmon returns drop in critical Maine river

ORONO, Maine (AP) — Salmon counters have found fewer of the endangered fish in the Penobscot River in 2021 than in any year since 2016. Atlantic salmon are listed under the Endangered Species Act in the U.S., as the country’s only remaining wild populations of the fish are found in a few Maine rivers. The Penobscot River is vitally important to the future of the fish, and salmon returns there are watched closely. Only 561 salmon were counted in the Penobscot last year. The Bangor Daily News reports that was the lowest number since 2016, when 503 fish were found.