Since 1953  the Miramichi Salmon Association (MSA) has worked toward the preservation and enhancement of the wild Atlantic salmon. MSA continues to look to build its membership strength, so we encourage you, if not already a member, to please join our ranks.  Join us Now
Your monthly resource for MSA conservation updates, Miramichi Watershed Information, upcoming MSA Events and much much more.
Be sure to stay up to date with videos and photos by liking us on Facebook on Twitter:
Vol. 18 April 2018
Reactions to New Daily Striper Limit Mixed

By Nathan Delong, The Miramichi Leader
Anglers looking to reel in more striped bass can now keep more of their catch, but reactions in the salmon and striper communities are mixed.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada announced Friday that anglers can now take home three stripers every day of the fishing season, up from one or two a day last year, depending on the timing.
The federal government is also allowing anglers to fish more of the Northwest Miramichi River for a longer timeframe in the spawning season.
Mark Hambrook, Miramichi Salmon Association president, said the increased daily bag limit is good news, given the impact bass have had on wild Atlantic salmon stocks.
“We’re quite pleased with that,” said Hambrook.“It’s basically what we feel would be a good fishery [for bass].”
The protected area on the Northwest Miramichi was dropped from 9.8 to 6.5 kilometres, and the prohibition period during the spawning time was decreased from nine to five days.
That small Northwest Miramichi section is the only known successful spawning ground for stripers in the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence region. (Photo: Jamie Sullivan and Ben Morris)

Introducing MSA's New Event Coordinator
We are pleased to share that William (Butch) Dalton has recently joined the MSA staff team, assuming Kate Flanagan’s ‘Event Management’ responsibilities during the course of her upcoming maternity leave. Butch is an avid outdoorsman and enjoys canoeing, fishing, and upland bird hunting with his two dogs, Ruby and Bluebell. Butch is a small business owner/operator (Dalton’s OJ in Boyce Farmers’ Market) plus has worked as a fishing guide, forestry worker and golf shop attendant. He is a graduated of UNB (Master’s degree in Environmental Policy) and resides on the North Side of Fredericton with his wife Kathy. Butch works from our MSA Fredericton office and can be contacted at butch@miramichisalmon.ca or 506-457-2233.  
MSA First Cast - A Tribute
By Paul Valeri
This year’s report from First Cast MSA, most properly, is a direct tribute to one of the 21 attendees at our Eighth Annual Event, held over our now usual last weekend in June. The participation of MSA member Steve Pomazi together with his son, his grandson, his granddaughter, and a teenage young man he had been mentoring, truly, says it all as to what First Cast is all about; it bespeaks the primary message of our organization. Steve Pomazi proved his commitment hook, line, and sinker, to the mission of First Cast MSA. In a nutshell, it is the obligation we all must share to pass on our appreciation for the essence of being on the Miramichi in pursuit of Atlantic salmon. Expose our young folks to how 80% of being on the river with friends has nothing to do with the actual catching of fish, and we give the next generation the chance to develop their own rich passion for coming to the Miramichi.

NSPA/MSA Conservation Dinner
The Northumberland Salmon Protection Association / Miramichi Salmon Association 20th Annual Fundraising Dinner took place April 12th, 2018 at the Rodd Miramichi. This year we honoured local conservationist and long-serving MSA director Debbie Norton for her many contributions to the salmon conservation community, with speeches given by MSA president Mark Hambrook and new MSA chairman Kevin Harris. The house was packed with over 200 people showing up for the silent and live auctions, and the large raffle. Over $15,000 was raised by the end of the evening. We would like to send our a big thank you to all who supported this event! (Pictured: Debbie
Norton, Mark Hambrook and Kevin Harris)
Upcoming Field Season
Field season is almost upon us for 2018 and it is shaping up to be a very busy year for our team!
Our joint kelt tracking project with the Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) will begin early May this year. We have 25 acoustic tags to surgically implant into these fish in order to track their movements and survival out of the Miramichi River into the marine environment. This will be the 11 th year for this acoustic tracking program.
Our smolt wheels are being prepped for installation the second week of May; it is our plan to install 2 on the Little Southwest River at Upper Oxbow Adventures and 3 will be installed on the Northwest River near Trout Brook. These wheels will serve as the collection platform for our Smolt to Adult Supplementation (SAS) program (part of the CAST project) and also for our smolt tracking program (also a joint project with the ASF). This will be the 4 th collection year for the SAS program and our hatchery facility has undergone major renovations this spring to accommodate the SAS program.
This will be the 5 th year for our smolt tracking program on the Northwest River, which has been done to determine movements and survival of smolts migrating from the Miramichi River to the ocean.
Membership Renewal
It's the most wonderful time of the year: time to renew your MSA membership! All membership and fundraising revenues go toward our conservation and research projects. There is no better way to support your passion for fishing and nature than to help the MSA continue their vital work to protect and conserve wild Atlantic salmon. Sign up at the $100 Sustaining Member level or more and in appreciation, receive this handcrafted 65th Anniversary commemorative pewter key tag, custom-made exclusively for us by Aiktens Pewter of Fredericton, NB. You can renew online through the link below or through the letters we have sent out by mail. Thank you all for your support!
Upcoming MSA Events You Don't Want to Miss
Still not a member of the Miramichi Salmon Association?
  Membership in the MSA is the perfect way to express your passion and support for the Miramichi River, for the Atlantic salmon who make it their home, and for the vital work being done by the MSA to protect and conserve both for today and tomorrow!
Miramichi Salmon Association | 506-622-4000 | | www.miramichisalmon.ca