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 and Twitter: |
|
President's Update
by Dr. Robyn McCallum
|
|
Hello MSA supporters,
It’s been another month of active committee and board meetings. Thank you again to our members and directors for their dedication to MSA, and thank you to all who attended our AGM on May 29.
Our smolt wheels will be coming out of the water this week. We had successful smolt collections on the Southwest Miramichi River (at Ludlow), smolt estimate and collection work on the Dungarvon River, and smolt estimate and tracking work on the Northwest Miramichi River. Many groups were able to make use of our smolt wheels on the Northwest Miramichi River, including DFO and ASF, as well as collaboration with UNB and Anqotum Resource Management.
We have started seeing closures for striped bass spawning, and we will continue to provide updates on water levels and temperatures as the season progresses for Atlantic Salmon. Check out our social media platforms and website for information about fishing and river conditions.
Notably, our proposed smallmouth bass eradication for Miramichi Lake has been approved at the provincial level- the Environmental Impact Assessment is now complete, and we are waiting for the final approval from DFO and Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA). This eradication will be a monumental endeavor, bringing together the working group comprised of many conservation stakeholders, rightsholders, and government agencies in the province, and volunteers. If you’d like to get involved as a volunteer, visit our website for more information or call our office at (506) 622-4000. This eradication will begin in August, but there are many operational planning items happening before then.
Have you seen our summer student profiles on our website and social media platforms yet? This group of students is enthusiastic and hard-working- I am glad they are on our team to help us move our research and conservation efforts forward.
There are many exciting projects underway at MSA and I’m looking forward to our summer season. Thank you for your continued support of MSA and our efforts to conserve the Atlantic Salmon on the Miramichi- we could not do it without you.
Take care,
Robyn
|
|
2021 MSA Field Program Update
by Lyndsay Jay-Keating
|
|
Our 2021 Smolt Estimate wrapped up at the end of May. We had two smolt wheels on the Northwest Miramichi River and one smolt wheel on the Dungarvon River this year, with great success at both locations. The estimate results will be finalized soon.
Through the use of smolt wheels, the MSA provides smolts for research and study purposes to many partners:
Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF)
-
Smolt Tracking- ASF will be continuing the smolt tracking program in 2021
- Tagging for the 2021 season took place from May 6 to May 19
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO)
- The Effects of pH on Smolts
- Samples of smolts were taken on May 11 and May 16
University of New Brunswick (UNB)
The Environmental Studies Research Fund (ESRF)
Miramichi Salmon Conservation Center
We will conduct electrofishing, cold water pools restoration, broodstock collections, and beaver dam management later this field season.
Electrofishing:
Our 2021 Juvenile Atlantic Salmon Assessment on the Miramichi River (also known as our electrofishing program) will continue this year. This program will be taking place during the latter part of the summer.
Coldwater pools
Our MSA team will follow up on past cold water pool restoration sites by performing snorkeling surveys, recording cold water temperature data, and assessing sites for possible clearing of minimal debris obstructing water flow.
Broodstock:
Broodstock collection of wild salmon will resume this coming fall on the Southwest Miramichi River for our 2022 stocking program.
Beaver Dams:
Our beaver dam management program is a go this year. We plan to have potential sites assessed early and ready for the project to start in the fall, as the MSA did not perform beaver dam management last year due to Covid-19.
|
|
The MSA would like to thank everyone who participated in our 2021 MSA Spring Auction. We exceeded our goal of $30k - thank you to all who participated and supported this auction through donations. As you are aware, fundraising has been a challenge over the past year due to COVID-19 regulations which have made traditional fundraising dinners an impossibility. We have been doing what we can to make ends meet! We would like to acknowledge your support, and the generous support of our sponsors listed below:
|
|
Smallmouth Bass Eradication update
by Dr. Robyn McCallum
|
|
Since smallmouth bass were first discovered in Miramichi Lake in 2008, the Miramichi Salmon Association has been working diligently to push for monitoring and eradication of this invasive species. After a long battle alongside our working group partners, we have some good news to share. The Province of New Brunswick has completed its review of the Environmental Impact Assessment and approved the proposed eradication project with a number of conditions, which the working group will incorporate into its operational plan. We are now waiting on final approval from DFO and PMRA.
As you are aware, smallmouth bass has unfortunately spread from Miramichi Lake to Lake Brook and a section of the Southwest Miramichi River. This spread has been merged into the proposed eradication. We are working with the world’s leading experts on eradication through the use of rotenone and have necessary training and safety protocols built into the plan. This project has been reviewed by numerous provincial and federal government agencies, and multiple rounds of questions were answered by the working group. Engagement with local cottage owners and consultation with all First Nations in New Brunswick, as well as with the general public and stakeholders, has occurred. Nearly 1300 letters of public support for this project were submitted to the Department of Environment and Local government and DFO during an open comment period.
The MSA team has been actively involved in the operational plan, and we will continue to ramp up our efforts on this front to prepare for the eradication, beginning in August 2021. We are recruiting volunteers for this effort, so please reach out if you’d like to be involved.
This eradication is the next step to restoring our ecosystem and eliminating the invasive smallmouth bass and will benefit our long-term conservation mission for Atlantic Salmon on the Miramichi.
|
|
Hatchery News
by Holly Labadie
|
|
Our smolt collection from the Dungarvon River and Main Southwest Miramichi River (in Ludlow) for 2021 is complete and the fish are being held in our Quarantine Building. These new smolts receive weekly treatments to help keep them healthy and get rid of any bacteria or pathogens they may have brought in from the river. The fish are fed krill mixed with dry feed pellets to help them transition to dry pellet feed only. The dry feed offers them a healthy, balanced diet with the proper nutritional requirements. The transition to dry pellet feed only is usually complete by the end of summer – early fall.
Our smolts collected in 2020 are in our Big Green House and are doing very well. Our survival rate for this group is over 85%. Heated water has been activated in this building, so the fish will eat more and grow faster over the summer months. This smolt group is the first year class collected, to be grown for broodstock, for our new Dungarvon River fry stocking initiative.
The remaining Little Southwest fish collected in 2018 as part of the CAST program are being held in our Big Green House. These fish may be involved in future experimental studies, such as follow-up work on the Northwest Millstream or for an ocean tracking project with new tag technology.
|
|
Holly preparing a salt bath treatment for the fish. |
|
|
The MSA is pleased to announce that Joe Palmer was the winner of the Rocky Bend fishing trip raffle. Congratulations Joe! For those of you who don't know Joe, he currently serves as vice-chair of the MSA and is an avid outdoor enthusiast. He is actively involved in a number of MSA committees and is a generous supporter of MSA fundraising activities, both in terms of his personal time and in donations. Thank you, Joe - and congratulations! |
|
Attention Photographers! Don't forget to submit your photos to the MSA photo contest for a chance to win a great CA$H prize.
- 1st place - $250
- 2nd place -$150
- 3rd place - $75
- 4th place - $25
*Please note that this contest is open to amateur photographers only.
For detailed information on rules and to submit photos please click the link below.
|
|
Miramichi Salmon News
by Brad Burns
|
|
The month of May went by without me hearing of a single bright salmon being caught on the Miramichi, though that has never been unusual, and it doesn’t mean that someone didn’t connect. I hear that the occasional, of what Pete Dube of the Motel Restigouche calls “giant brights” has been taken on the Restigouche since early in May, and that includes this lovely specimen held by Matapedia guide Peter Firth. I remember when Peter struck out on his own as an independent guide back in the 90s. He has been taking early-run fish like this most years for a long time. |
|
Striped Bass Report
by Butch Dalton
|
|
May 19th, 2021
By all accounts, most of the spring kelt have migrated out to sea and keen anglers have switched their focus to striped bass fishing. I had a chance to partake in some striper fishing last week, as did MSA biologist, Lyndsay Jay Keating, who landed the beautiful striped bass pictured. I can attest to the fact that there were an unbelievable number of striped bass in the estuary and the fishing has been white hot. On the day I was out there were boats and fishers everywhere! People seemed to be having great success trolling in and around Beaubears Island and Strawberry Marsh. Most boats were catching a fish every 2 or 3 minutes, although landing a bass in the 'keeper' slot size of 50cm to 65cm was challenging. Fishing remained excellent through the end of the week and then began to slow down as spawning revved up into full swing.
Later in the week fishing effort seemed to migrate closer to the mouth of the Northwest Miramichi near Parks landing. Striped bass in this area were swirling around in the way they do when they are preparing to spawn - this can make for some exciting fishing. From my observations, and having spoken to some anglers along the way, fishing slowed down for boats that were trolling, but I did notice some pretty experienced looking anglers having great top water popper action. Whoever these guys were, they certainly knew how to catch fish! From my observations, it seems that striped bass will take almost any lure during this pre-spawning time including white, gray and florescent yellow sand eels, some crazy looking feather wing flies I tried out, and chicken bones apparently! Below is a picture of a chicken bone that Mark Hambrook found in the belly of a 60cm bass he caught.
May 26th to 30th - striped bass spawning in full swing.
As spawning moved into full swing during the last week of May, DFO announced the temporary closure of fishing in the spawning grounds in the Miramichi estuary. From May 26 to May 30, 2021, angling was prohibited from the bridge in Red Bank downriver approximately 6.5 km, to a line located in front of Williamstown Road. It has reopened now, but I suspect the fishing will begin to slow down a bit.
May 30th - June 1st
After speaking to a few folks on the phone on June 2nd, it would appear that the fishing has indeed dropped off considerably. The Captain of the CRI boat, Mario Theriault, reported that he only hooked and landed one striped bass in the past 3 days.
June 2nd
One final fishing report came in last night from the CRI boat and by all accounts fishing is starting to pick up again. Captain Mario reported catching 20+ fish over the course of the day, 10 of which were of "keeper" size. Not quite as productive as the third week in May where anglers were routinely reporting catches of 60-80 fish in a single day.
As of today, anglers were reporting (June 4th) that there is still very good fishing for stripers at Quarryville and in the Miramichi estuary. The CRI boat was back at it again and there are still plenty of fish around - and a lot of BIG fish around. At this stage in the fishing season who knows what you might land - a bright salmon is always a possibility in early June!
Good Luck!
|
|
Reid Sutherland with a great
looking striped bass
|
|
Captain Mario of the UNB/CRI boat |
|
Chicken bone found in Mark's 60cm striper |
|
UNB Striped Bass Effects Study
by Butch Dalton
|
|
Have you seen the UNB/CRI boat and crew out in the Miramichi estuary and wondered what they were up to?
The boat is being used for striped bass fishing over the course of a few weeks as part of a study being conducted by Dr. Tommi Linnansaari and his team from UNB and CRI (Canadian Rivers Institute).
The study explores the possibility that the huge resurgence of striped bass populations in the Miramichi estuary over the past few years may be having a significant impact on migrating salmon smolts. A 2016 DFO study suggested migrating salmon smolts may be part of the striped bass diet. Dr. Linnansaari and his team are testing this hypothesis by comparing the timing and density of the smolt migration (through the use of MSA smolt wheel data) to the stomach contents of striped bass being caught on the UNB/CRI boat and stomach samples collected from the general public at local boat launches.
The key clarification this research hopes to provide is that in order to accurately determine the effect that striped bass are having on migrating smolt populations, research needs to focus on the stomach contents of striped bass during the period of time that the smolt migration is occurring. For example, if stomach contents of striped bass are identified each day over the course of 6 weeks, but smolts are only migrating for 2 days in that entire time frame, it would be spurious to conclude that bass are having little impact on smolt populations as smolts could only be present in bass diets 2 out of a possible 42 days.
Dr. Linnansaari and his team are identifying when the smolt migration occurs (via smolt wheel data), and analyzing stomach contents of striped bass caught around and within that specific period of time, to compare. This research will provide a more accurate picture of the impact striped bass are having on migrating salmon smolts.
|
|
UNB researchers performing "gastric lavage" to remove stomach contents |
|
Stomach contents - mostly smelts as the smolt run is finished now. |
|
Recording the stomach content data |
|
The MSA would like to encourage you to participate in our weekly Creel of Fortune 50/50 draw. It's fun, you could win some money, and it is a great way to support salmon conservation! Please click the link below to sign up or re-up on your lucky number. Good luck!
|
|
Question Corner
by Rick Cunjak
|
|
Thank you to everyone who sent in questions for Rick. We chose the following question(s) to answer this month as a number of folks have had similar questions.
Question: It was only a few short years ago that striped bass populations were at a critical level in the Miramichi. What happed to cause their populations to rebound so dramatically and is a similar rebound a possibility for salmon populations throughout the Miramichi watershed? Are there examples of salmon populations rebounding in a similar way?
|
|
If you have a question you would like answered, please email your question by clicking the button below. Dr. Rick Cunjak (or someone from the MSA ) will provide an answer to your question in the Leaper the following month. |
|
Dr. Richard Cunjak is a retired professor at University of New Brunswick where he held a joint appointment in the Department of Biology and the Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Management. Rick has more than 35 years experience working on the behavioural ecology of riverine fishes. |
|
MSA Fredericton Dinner ------------October 7, 2021
MSA Saint John Dinner -------------October 22, 2021
|
|
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!
|
|
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER AND YOUTUBE |
|
|
|
|
|
|
