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Vol. 61 August 2023

Hi everyone!

The 2023 season has certainly been a strange one, with the constant precipitation and high, fast water. We continue to be at the table for warm water protocol committee meetings. We are also working on information releases to better share the protocol, how it is used to protect fish, how decisions are made, and the change in this season for Environment and Climate Change Canada weather stations. We have had fewer closures this season than in previous years. Water levels, water temperatures, fish behaviour and weather forecasts are all considered for closing and reopening decisions.

Thank you to the folks who attended our July 16 engagement event in Blackville! We had about 35 people show up to discuss salmon conservation, view the interpretive trail, ask tough questions about salmon in the Miramichi River and our work, and enjoy a BBQ. I want to thank Brock Curtis from Curtis Outfitters for helping us to arrange this event, and those who came out to learn more about the MSA.

The salmon protection barriers continue to operate and we thank the crews who collect valuable data and protect fish. To check these numbers as well as the DFO trap net numbers, you can visit our website, scroll to the bottom, and select ‘Salmon Counts’.

Public tours of the hatchery continue. To book a tour, you can visit our website or call the office at (506) 622-4000. Our ACOA Tourism Relief Fund program officially wrapped up at the end of June. Thanks to a $276,000 grant from ACOA we were able to make much-needed renovations to our broodstock building for tours and for stocking. All of these upgrades can be viewed through our public tours.

We now have a new federal minister for DFO, the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier. Minister Lebouthillier is the MP representing Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine in Quebec and is familiar with the salmon industry.

Finally, for those who do not already know, I would like to announce that this will be my final President's Update in The Leaper, as I am moving on from the MSA. It has been a pleasure to work with everyone at this organization over the last few years. Thank you for welcoming me into the salmon conservation world and allowing me to be part of the great work that the MSA does. This is a strong organization and I have so much confidence in the MSA team moving forward!

Dr. Robyn McCallum, MSA President



Cold water brooks provide critically important habitat for adult and juvenile salmon, especially during warm water events. The MSA and other conservation groups are constantly working to restore and enhance cold water habitat. Over the last decade, the MSA has lead cold water restoration projects at 11 different pools on the Miramichi River. Each year, the MSA field team revisits former cold water habitat restoration sites to assess if restorations are still functioning to their purpose and to conduct necessary maintenance work.

Over the last few weeks, MSA biologist Lyndsay Jay-Keating and her field team have been busy checking up on past cold water enhancement sites, with work wrapping up this week. Their work included removing overgrowth and debris, performing snorkeling surveys, and recording cold water temperature data.

"High water and fast currents due to rain slowed our cold water site maintenance schedule this year. It is important that our team be safe when out in the river, so we do not go out in fast-moving water," said Lyndsay. "We also hold off on doing site work during warm water protocol closures".

Recorded temperature differences between cold water pools and the main river were significant, between 1.6°C and 7.7°C. Almost all sites in 2023 were reported to have a variety of fish species with vast sizes being seen using the cold water pools, especially during warm water events.

Top: Cold water flowing from Otter Brook; Bottom Left: MSA summer students Lauren Comeau and Cole Johnson clearing debris at Otter Brook; Bottom Right: MSA summer students Lauren Comeau, Jansen Blacquier, and Ally Taylor taking temperature readings at Hudson Brook



The Miramichi River is one of four rivers in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence region that has a warm water protocol in effect. The warm water protocol committee meets throughout the spring, summer, and fall to consider protocol guidelines for closing and reopening important cold water pools during angling season, in order to protect Atlantic salmon. The committee is led by DFO and the Miramichi Salmon Association participates in committee meetings to give input on behalf of stakeholders to help guide decisions about protocols.

The warm water protocol is activated when certain thresholds are reached, including water temperature, water level, fish behaviour, and weather forecasts. The protocol is reviewed annually before each angling season. Restrictions as a result of the protocol may include reduced fishing hours or closures to recreational fishing in certain sections of the river. The restrictions are lifted once certain thresholds are met. In total, the protocol applies to 32 pools along the Miramichi River - three pools which close each year on July 1st and 29 other pools to be closed or reopened when river temperature meets a threshold of 20°C for two consecutive days. If the river temperature is above a 23°C threshold, further restrictions may be implemented for the entire Miramichi River, such as morning-only fishing. 

This angling season has been unique in that, although water temperatures above 20°C have been noted, the near-daily rainfall and high water levels have kept the river high and fast, and reduced stress on thermo-regulating Atlantic salmon. Other factors besides temperature, such as water level, weather forecast, and fish behaviour have played significant roles in warm water protocol committee discussions this year. In addition to strange weather patterns so far this season, 2023 has been challenging for accessing data, with water data no longer being shared publicly by Environment and Climate Change Canada. 

To learn more about Miramichi's warm water protocol, please click the link below.

Join us on October 3rd for our 26th Annual MSA Fredericton Dinner & Auction! This event is happening at the Fredericton Inn beginning with a cocktail reception and silent auction at 5:30pm AST, followed by a prime rib dinner at 7pm AST. 

This year, we are excited to honour the Cain Family, recognizing their dedication to the conservation of Atlantic salmon in the Miramichi watershed and their unwavering support for the Miramichi Salmon Association.

By purchasing tickets or sponsoring a table for the MSA Fredericton Dinner & Auction, you not only get to enjoy an extraordinary evening, but you will also be making a contribution to the preservation of the Miramichi watershed and Atlantic salmon. Your generous support helps the Miramichi Salmon Association to continue our vital work in protecting Atlantic salmon on the Miramichi River.



The MSA would like to extend a thank you to all those who have taken the time to visit the Miramichi Fish Hatchery located at the Miramichi Salmon Conservation Centre in South Esk. So far in 2023, we have had an active tour season with visitors from close to home and as far as Mexico! We are excited to be able to share the facility's rich history with everyone who visits, especially as the hatchery celebrates its 150th year as the oldest continuously-operating fish hatchery in North America.

A student from Gretna Green Elementary seeing adult salmon swimming in a Grow-out Building tank while on a tour of the Miramichi Fish Hatchery.

Miramichi Fish Hatchery Tours run every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 11am and 2pm. To book a hatchery tour, visit our website or call (506) 622-4000. Note, our public hatchery tour season ends August 31st.

Fishing Friends:

The jury is still very much out on what has been so far a very strange season on the Miramichi. Water levels have been persistently high all season with only the last week or so getting under 1 meter on the Blackville gauge, and then just barely. You can refer to my early season Miramichi Salmon Blog on my Brad Burns Fishing website (link below) for more info on the June and early July fishing. 

During summers with high water fish can be assumed to go further up all the rivers than normal, and this has left the traditional lower river cold water pools shorter on fish than they would otherwise be. Conditions in July were warm too, and after two closures for Warm Water Protocol since July 15 – where the river doesn’t drop below 68°F for 48 hrs - the river reopened for the second time on August 2. Catches are decent with a good showing of fish present at the better known cold water pools. The two week forecast contains no really warm weather and sporadic rain. Right now could be a good time to go salmon fishing on the Miramichi. 

Eddie Colford of the Black Brook Salmon Club reported catching a salmon and rolling several others. One of his guests landed a nice salmon the next morning. Darrell Warren said his guests from the Campbell’s Pools MSA donation landed salmon and rose other fish up in the Cains on dry flies, and Country Haven’s young angler from Germany landed a nice salmon a little further up the Cains. 



Left: Eddie Colford and a sport at the Black Brook Salmon Club

Right: Sami Duis from Remels, Germany

It isn’t all pooled up fish either as Eddie reported seeing a run of grilse move through, and Byron Coughlan of Country Haven noted Vs from salmon schools passing up the river by his lodge. 

Wayne O’Donnell of Rocky Brook reported good fishing on some low to mid-teen size salmon, but reported that numbers seemed a little thin – especially grilse. He assumed that perhaps salmon had used the high water of the early season to go further upriver, but his contacts near Juniper said that wasn’t happening. 

The word from most everywhere is that salmon numbers are down. I spent 10 days fishing in Newfoundland and I’d say catches were off by 70% or more even with good conditions. We heard those kind of reports from all over the island. I also had poor reports from the north shore of the Saint Lawrence Rivers. The northern Highlands of Scotland are also seeing much lighter than normal returns. Apparently, for whatever reason, it just wasn’t a great year at sea for the salmon. 

Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans released its stock status update through December 2022. The statistics pose some interesting questions. First, the Restigouche total 2022 returns were 6,000 salmon 4,000 grilse representing about a 60% decline from 2010 leaving the river solidly in DFO’s assigned critical zone. The Miramichi had a total of 10,000 salmon and 8,000 grilse which breaks down to 7,400 salmon and 6,000 grilse in the SW and 2,400/1,900 in the NW. Spawning salmon numbers were down approximately 50% since 2010 in the SW Miramichi and 56% in the NW. Amazingly the Restigouche decline – according to DFO estimates – is even worse than the Miramichi. I hear the Matapedia – a Quebec River which shares a mouth with the Restigouche - is also having a terrible year this year. I don’t know why these rivers are seeing such a decline, but I have heard that indigenous netting there is largely uncontrolled. 

On the other hand, the population of Nova Scotia’s Margaree River is more or less level – up a little if anything – over the last 30 years, and the whole river is characterized as being in the healthy zone in terms of its salmon population. Why? The Miramichi was in that state 10 years ago too. The difference is almost undoubtedly the outrageously over-protected striped bass population of the Miramichi that is knocking off our smolts before they get a chance to go to sea. 

What about 2023?  The Millerton and Cassilis trap numbers this year are just plain terrible. It may be that they are reduced somewhat by poor efficiency from high water and warm water closures – I just found out that DFO does not operate the traps during the warm water closures. That could make quite a difference one year to the next, but still the declines – the counts are down some 70% compared to 2022 – are very concerning. We are hearing the same thing from these other salmon rivers, though, so some of it may just be a bad year for Atlantic salmon in general. Nor is this year’s run over yet. It will be interesting to see the strength of this year’s fall run. We’ll have to withhold final judgement until we see the full season behind us. 

Brad Burns, MSA US President

On July 26th, 2023, the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier was sworn in as the new Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard. She was one of several ministers to assume a new position in the cabinet. Minister Lebouthillier is a Liberal MP for the Quebec riding of Gaspésie-Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine, has experience with fisheries, and has spent time living in New Brunswick. With her background, the Miramichi Salmon Association is hopeful that Minister Lebouthillier will be able to address concerns for recreational fisheries at the watershed level.



Photo credit: Sean Kilapatrick, Canadian Press

To learn more about Minister Lebouthillier or to view the official news release regarding her appointment, please use the links below.

As part of his project under the Brian Moore Legacy Fund, MSA summer student Cole Johnson has been working on video communications about the Miramichi Fish Hatchery. The first project video was released earlier this month and can be viewed below.

Calling all amateur photographers! We want to see your shots of the Miramichi River!



The Brian Smith Memorial Photo Contest is an opportunity to showcase your best photos capturing the beauty and diversity of the watershed. This is an annual event that runs from April 15th until October 15th and offers cash prizes to the top four photos.

1st Place - $250

2nd Place - $150

3rd Place - $75

4th Place - $25

Click below to submit your photos. Note: Submissions are limited to two images per category per photographer.

Our MSA Autumn Dinner in Saint John is happening on October 25th at the Delta Brunswick. This event is one of the highlights of our fall fundraising calendar and we look forward to welcoming you.

Join us for a great meal that highlights NB's local flavours, connect with other members of the fishing and conservation community, and participate in our signature fundraising auction to help us raise money for salmon conservation on the Miramichi River. If you are an outdoor enthusiast, you will not want to miss the great live and silent auction items we have lined up this year!

Ticket sales will be launching soon, so stay tuned to our website for details.

MSA Fredericton Dinner

October 3rd at the Fredericton Inn

MSA Autumn Dinner in Saint John

October 25th at the Delta Brunswick Square

MSA Board of Directors Meeting

November 18th in Freeport, Maine



If you are not already receiving The Leaper automatically:

Miramichi Salmon Association

485 Route 420

South Esk NB E1V 4L9

506-622-4000

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