Since 1953, the Miramichi Salmon Association (MSA) has worked toward the preservation and enhancement of Atlantic salmon on the Miramichi river. With strength in numbers, the MSA continues to build its membership to support our conservation efforts. We encourage you, if not already a member, to please join us.

Vol. 64 November 2023

Greetings to all our Miramichi Salmon Association supporters,

We hope you are enjoying the splendors of the Miramichi's fall, as the landscape undergoes its annual transformation into a spectacle of vibrant colors. It is a time when many exchange their fly rods for shotguns, and we wish you a productive and safe hunting season.

Fall is traditionally an exceptionally busy period for the MSA, and this year is no exception. We are delighted to have successfully hosted two significant fundraising dinners, one in Fredericton and the other in Saint John. These events demanded collective dedication from our MSA staff, and we are proud to share that both evenings went off without a hitch. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our sponsors, live and silent auction donors, and to everyone who joined us in honoring Dan Cain in Fredericton and Jerome Molloy in Saint John. It was a privilege to recognize their invaluable contributions to Atlantic salmon conservation in the Miramichi and to the MSA.

Our commitment to salmon conservation persists into the fall season. Broodstock collection and spawning have been in full swing. The MSA team is working diligently to ensure an abundant supply of fry for our spring 2024 stocking program. We express our sincere thanks to the dedicated volunteers who have lent their support to this labor-intensive endeavor. Your assistance is indispensable to our progress.

October also marked the commencement of our beaver dam breaching program for the fall. We have a dedicated team tirelessly working to unblock crucial salmon spawning areas. Their daily efforts are making a substantial impact on restoring passage for our salmon. We applaud the team for their relentless commitment to this challenging task.

As we transition further into late fall, our focus turns to caring for the eggs at our hatchery, conducting routine maintenance, and recovering from an exceptionally active field season. Simultaneously, we are preparing to submit most of our funding applications, due at the end of November and early December. We are taking early strides in preparing these submissions.

In closing, we want to convey our heartfelt appreciation to all our supporters, volunteers, and staff who make our conservation efforts possible. Your dedication remains the lifeblood of the Miramichi Salmon Association, and it is the cornerstone of our mission's success. We look forward to continuing our collective efforts to safeguard the Miramichi River's treasured Atlantic salmon.

With gratitude and dedication,

William "Butch" Dalton

MSA Interim President

Each autumn the MSA collects broodstock salmon for spawning at the Miramichi Fish Hatchery. Throughout the fall fishing season, partner outfitters and anglers on the Cains River help the MSA retain salmon by releasing their catches into Live Release Boxes for same-day pick-up and transport to the Miramichi Fish Hatchery.

Another method for collecting broodstock is to sweep salmon pools using seine nets, gently herding mature salmon into a small, closed area to be collected by hand. For the last several years, the MSA has seined broodstock from a pool on the Main Southwest Miramichi River near Juniper with the help of students from New Brunswick Community College.

Fish collected on the Main Southwest Miramichi River and Cains River are spawned as part of the MSA’s traditional fry stocking program.  

MSA Biologist Lyndsay Jay-Keating collecting a male broodstock salmon from the holding pen at the Dungarvon Salmon Protection Barrier.

Since 2020, the MSA has also been working on a long-term research project that assesses novel fry stocking methods vs. traditional fry stocking methods. The Dungarvon Research Project is led by Dr. Tommi Linnansaari and carried out in partnership with the University of New Brunswick. Earlier this month, the MSA and UNB researchers collected broodstock for this project from the holding pen at the Dungarvon Salmon Protection Barrier. 

Wild and hatchery-reared salmon are spawned at the Miramichi Fish Hatchery between mid-October and early November. 

Left: MSA Hatchery Manager Holly Labadie measures the fork-length of a female salmon before it is spawned. Right: MSA Biologist Lyndsay Jay-Keating gently massages a female salmon's abdomen to remove her eggs.

Females are placed in a fish-friendly anesthetic bath to reduce their stress and allow their eggs to be gently removed into bowls. The eggs are fertilized using sperm from the males and water. The entire process only takes a few minutes and the adults are immediately released back to the wild. The fertilized eggs are rinsed to remove any biological tissue, then placed in trays and left to water-harden for four hours.

Hatchery Technician Dylan Hyland rinses newly-spawned eggs.

Finally, the eggs are moved to our Egg Building to be stored in troughs over the winter. During the winter months, the eggs are closely monitored and cared for until they begin hatching into fry in the spring. Once the hatched fry reach the swim-up feeding stage, they are stocked into their natal waters.

The Miramichi Salmon Association is currently accepting applications for the 2024 Jack Fenety Conservation Scholarship. This is a major scholarship that is awarded each year to a graduate student conducting research associated with the ecology of Atlantic salmon, relevant to the Miramichi watershed.

To learn more about the Jack Fenety Conservation Scholarship and how to apply, please click the link below. Deadline for applications is December 15th.

The 26th Annual MSA Fredericton Dinner & Auction took place on October 3rd at the Fredericton Inn. Over 270 guests joined us to celebrate the Cain family for their long-time dedication to the MSA, Atlantic salmon, and the Miramichi watershed. A highlight of the evening was the signature live auction, which included fishing trips to Millbrook Lodge, Sutter Salmon Club, and the renowned Rocky Brook Camp.

Thanks to the MSA's generous supporters, this event netted over $120,000 for conservation work on the Miramichi River. The MSA Fredericton Dinner Committee would like to extend a special thank you to all organizers, donors, and event attendees for making the evening such a success.

Top: MSA Director Dan Cain, MSA Director Reece Cain, and Leah Cain being presented an Honouree Award by MSA Director Manley Price (left to right); Left: MSA Vice Chair Richard McGuigan with Jacques Dubé, Mel McGuigan, and MSA Past President Bud Bird (left to right); Right: MSA Director and Fredericton Dinner Committee Chair Tristan Hovey (right) posing with wife Misty Hovey (left) and Leader of the Official Opposition Susan Holt (centre).

On September 29th, the Working Group on Smallmouth Bass Eradication in the Miramichi issued a statement outlining that the project to remove invasive smallmouth bass from the Miramichi watershed will not proceed. Working group members made this unanimous decision following an unsuccessful request for the Province of New Brunswick to take on the role of project proponent, and multiple catches of invasive smallmouth bass outside the project area in 2023.

“It is now up to both levels of government to control the spread of smallmouth bass in the Miramichi watershed. We expect a robust, well-funded response in perpetuity, using whatever tools exist now, and whatever tools might emerge in the future, to slow and disrupt smallmouth bass.”

Click below to read the full statement from the working group.

Congratulations to the winners of our 2023 Brian Smith Memorial MSA Photo Contest!

1st Place Winner

Ellen Tramley Seymour

Category: Miramichi Scenes



2nd Place Winner

Troy Adams

Category:

Kids on the Miramichi

3rd Place Winner

Tom Walker

Category:

Miramichi People

4th Place Winner

Shelley Harris-Weir

Category:

Angling

Thank you to everyone who participated, and to our prize sponsor, Bates Custom Laminating and Framing.

The Miramichi Salmon Association embraces every opportunity to educate the next generation of conservationists. Over the last several years, students from Mount Allison University (MTA), New Brunswick Community College (NBCC), and Blackville High School (BHS) have kicked off their school year by learning about environmental science with the help of the MSA's knowledgeable staff.

On August 24th, MTA professor Dr. Josh Kurek brought students from his GENS4401: Biomonitoring class to tour the Miramichi Fish Hatchery.

Photo credit: Dr. Josh Kurek

Sara Lloyd’s environmental science class from New Brunswick Community College joined our field team in Juniper on October 5th to assist with broodstock collection.

On October 19th, the Miramichi Fish Hatchery hosted students from Blackville High School to demonstrate salmon spawning.

The MSA would like to give a special thanks to Dr. Josh Kurek (MTA), Sarah Lloyd (NBCC), and Ashley Hallihan (BHS) for coordinating these student outreach initiatives with us.

The MSA Saint John Dinner Committee would like to thank all guests who supported and attended the MSA Autumn Dinner on October 25th at the Delta Brunswick Square. Along with raising important funds for Miramichi River salmon conservation, the MSA was able to honour Jerome Molloy for his steadfast support of the MSA and his contributions to the fly fishing community.

Top: MSA Chair Joe Palmer (left) and MSA Saint John Dinner Committee Co-chair Gordon Mouland (right) presenting an award to event honouree Jerome Molloy; Left: MSA Saint John Dinner Committee Co-chair John C. Fitzpatrick was the Master of Ceremonies for the dinner; Right: MSA Director Stephen Tonning and Linda Williams bidding on silent auction items.

The Miramichi Salmon Association is overseen by a Board of Directors, elected at the annual general meeting. These directors are volunteers from across Atlantic Canada and the United States with a common passion and commitment for Atlantic salmon conservation in the Miramichi watershed. The board meets regularly throughout the year to discuss MSA agenda items and make important management decisions on behalf of the organization.

The next board of directors meeting is scheduled for November 18th. We would like to thank this outstanding group of volunteers for their time and dedication to our organization. 

To learn more about the MSA board of directors and organizational structure, click below.

The Foundation for Atlantic Salmon Conservation hosts a free webinar series promoting education and public awareness on topics relevant to the conservation of wild Atlantic salmon and salmon habitat. The 2023-2024 webinar schedule includes speakers from DFO, FQSA, and UNBSJ.

We hope you will check out these webinars coming up in November and December:

November 15th

Isabelle Morisset, Senior Policy Advisor, Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Overview of the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization (NASCO)

November 29th

Tara Imlay, Research Scientist, Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Spatial Synchrony in Body Length Changes for Atlantic Salmon (Salmo Salar) Over Five Decades

December 13th

Rachelle Duval, Manager of Socio-Economic Policy, Fisheries and Oceans Canada 

Wild Atlantic Salmon Strategy ‘What We Heard’

To register for an upcoming webinar or view past presentations, click below.

MSA Board of Directors Meeting

November 18th in Freeport, Maine

MSA Carleton County Christmas Auction

Launching December 4th

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485 Route 420

South Esk NB E1V 4L9

506-622-4000

admin@miramichisalmon.ca

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