A Makkovik man is sharing pictures of an unusual fish caught in local waters that may be linked to rivers a very long distance away.

Bernie Andersen was out with his son casting his line when he hooked what he initially thought was a char. On closer inspection, he realized the fish, which had a large hump and appeared ready for spawning, wasn’t a char at all.

Char and Atlantic salmon normally develop a distinctive hook on their bottom jaw when ready for spawning. This particular fish had a hook on its upper jaw.

Andersen did a little research and crowd-sourcing to find out what he had and learned that the fish was likely a pink salmon – a species that Russia has been using to restock salmon rivers in that country.

It’s not the first time the species, native to the Pacific Ocean, has turned up in waters on this side of the Atlantic. Similar catches were reported in Cartwright and the Gander River in recent years, but Andersen says this is the first such catch in saltwater and that far north on the Labrador coast.

Andersen, who is amazed at the journey the fish must have taken, is looking forward to smoking the salmon to see what it’s like.