Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Gulf Region has released 2 important 2016 stock assessments reports; one on the stock status of Atlantic Salmon in the Gulf Region and the second on the abundance of Striped Bass in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence.   In a nutshell, estimates for the return of salmon and grilse to the SW Miramichi in 2016 were 14,100 (vs. 11,490 in 2015) and 11,100 (vs. 13,980 in 2015) respectively, resulting in egg deposition achieving 107% of the minimum conservation requirement. Returns of salmon and grilse to the NW Miramichi in 2016 were 4,000 (vs. 4,171 in 2015) and 4,100 (vs. 11,980 in 2015) respectfully, resulting in egg deposition achieving only 72% of the minimum conservation requirement.   The Striped Bass population of the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence has increased in abundance from less than 5,000 spawners in the late 1990s to an estimated 318,000 in 2016.