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Your monthly resource for MSA conservation updates, Miramichi Watershed Information, upcoming MSA Events and much much more.
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DFO Announces Striped bass spawning ground angling closure in the Northwest Miramichi River from June 1 to June 9, 2017
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Moncton, New Brunswick – Updated May 30, 2017* - Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) announced the dates of the closure of angling during the Striped bass spawning period in a portion of the Northwest Miramichi River.
From Thursday, June 1 to Friday, June 9, 2017 inclusively, angling will be prohibited from the bridge in Red Bank downriver approximately 9.8 km to a line crossing the Northwest Miramichi River on a north/south axis from the point where the road 425 (Boom Road) meets Road 435 in Whitney, and defined by two points as indicated on the following map
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Legend: The map below shows a close up view of the Northwest Miramichi River in the Red Bank to Whitney area. The Red Bank-Sunny Corner bridge is visible on the lower left side of the map, and on the right side, the downstream boundary of the angling closure is indicated with a black line drawn between two points located 9.8 km downriver from the bridge. The zone that will be closed is marked in red. Coordinates of the two points defining the line are: 1) 46°58'1.017"/ -65°42'58.185" on the north shore; and 2) 46°57'41.712"/ -65°42'58.185" on the south shore (NAD 83)
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The 8th Annual MSA First Cast Weekend
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Do you love fly fishing and have a child or grandchild with whom you’d like to share the fun and satisfaction of the sport? Have you a friend who has often said, “I’d love to take up fly fishing for Atlantic salmon, but I don’t know where to start”? If so, on Saturday, June 24 and on Sunday, June 25, the Miramichi Salmon Association will host its 8th annual MSA First Cast, a free event for everyone (young and old) who is eager to learn about the sport of fly fishing for Atlantic salmon. Registration is free but space is limited so we ask that you register by no later than Friday, June 9th. Note: There is no requirement to have your own equipment, as MSA can provide you loaner equipment for the weekend. For more Information click here! To register, please contact the MSA’s Kate Flanagan at 506-622-4000 or at kate@miramichisalmon.ca for more information.
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by MSA Biologist Holly Labadie
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Even with the very cold, wet and late spring we had this year our smolt collection for the CAST program (SAS – Smolt to Adult Supplementation) in 2017 was a great success! We were able to collect all 5000 smolts (2500 from the Northwest and 2500 from the Little Southwest) within a couple of weeks and these fish are now happily swimming in the tanks in our newly renovated quarantine facility at the Miramichi Salmon Conservation Centre (MSCC). They have started feeding and will be getting weekly salt baths to make sure they stay clean and healthy. The CAST program now has 3 different year classes of salmon on site and growing at the MSCC.
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Photo taken April 2017 – Smolts collected in 2015 by CAST have now grown to adult sized fish in tanks at the MSCC
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MSA and ASF staff successfully collected and tagged a number of migrating smolts again this spring.
Eighty fish from the Northwest were tagged with internal acoustic tags to track their movements and survival out of the Miramichi River into the marine environment. A further 50 fish were tagged with the new predator tags, these are designed to change their identifier code when the tag comes into contact with a low pH (i.e.: stomach acid). The goal is to be able to determine when and where a fish has been consumed with these new tags.
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Photo: ASF Biologist Heather Dixon tagging smolts with acoustic tags
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Our salmon fry have hatched and are about ready to begin feeding. They will be kept at the MSCC for a few more weeks until they are ready to be stocked out into their natal rivers. We have fry from 6 tributaries on the Miramichi River this year – Northwest, Sevogle, Little Southwest, Cains, Clearwater, and Juniper.
Renovations are still underway in our 'Big Greenhouse' at the MSCC as we prepare to install 6 more new tanks over the summer. These tanks will be the same as the 6 tanks installed this past winter and will allow us to house more salmon for the CAST program at the MSCC facility. We have a great team this year involved in all our programs and the summer of 2017 will surely be one to remember!
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Introducing MSA's New Biologist Clay MacLean
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The MSA would like to introduce its new biologist - Clay MacLean. Clay is replacing Holly Labadie, who has taken on the new role of Assistant Manager at the MSCC Hatchery Facility (so she’s still working with the MSA!). Clay comes to us from Prince Edward Island where he was a field biologist for the Central Queens Wildlife Federation. Being an avid fly fisherman, Clay is personally vested in the field work that the MSA is doing and went right to work upon arrival by helping out with this year’s smolt collection. Clay's favourite river to fish in his home province is the Morell, and says he always seems to hook-up when he has a Muddler tied to his leader.
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MSA's Freeman Dunnett Dinner featured CAST
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The 17th Annual ‘Freeman Dunnett’ Conservation Dinner was held in Moncton on Thursday May 18th, 2017 at the Crowne Plaza. The event was well attended with over 180 enthusiastic salmon conservationists in the room, thanks in large part to 13 ‘Salmon Tables for Conservation’ Sponsors. A highlight of the evening was a presentation and update on the Collaboration for Atlantic Salmon Tomorrow (CAST) program, given by CAST Executive Director Andrew Willett and lead Biologist Tommi Linnansaari. Life-time giving awards were also given out to long-time MSA supporters Doug MacDonald, Ross Bingham, Peter Worth, Dave Creighton and Dick Carpenter. The evening concluded with a fun and successful Live Auction, raising almost $20,000 for salmon conservation. Thanks to all who came out and supported this year’s Moncton Dinner!
Photo: MSA Past Chairman Doug MacDonald receiving his Lifetime giving award the ‘Thunder & Lightning’ shadow box in recognition of reaching the milestone of $150,000 in accumulative giving and support to the MSA
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MSA's Icebreaker Weekend was a Sell Out!
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This year’s annual MSA Ice Breaker Weekend proved to be another great success! Starting on Friday, April 28th, this year’s Science Day boasted a number of very informative and qualified speakers, including; Antóin O’Sullivan and Jani Helminen - both MSA Jack Fenety Scholarship recipients; , Drew Carlton – NB Dept. of Energy and Resource Development; Heather Dixon – ASF Biologist; Frank Johnston - NB Conservation Council; and Holly Labadie and Mark Hambrook from the MSA.
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Antóin O’Sullivan presenting his topic "How the landscape influences the spatial variability of river temperature"
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The 64rd MSA Annual General Meeting followed on Saturday April 29th, with 8 new Directors being appointed to the MSA Board of Directors; David Alward (Boston, MA), Jason Curtis (Keenan, NB) Mark Delaney (Moncton, NB) Brian Green (Fredericton, NB), Tristan Hovey (Fredericton, NB) Stan Knowles (Miramichi, NB) and Christopher Lloyd (Gray Rapids, NB)
Photo to Right (L to R): Brian Green, Jason Curtis, Stan Knowles and Tristan Hovey.
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The weekend wouldn't be the same without finishing off with the Annual Icebreaker Dinner! This year’s 21st Annual Event was held at the Woodmen's Museum in Boiestown, NB and featured live music by Harry Pond and Bliss Spencer. With over 160 in attendance, the evening was a real success with an exciting live auction featuring the Honouree of the evening, Auctioneer Gary Tanner, who always knows how to get the crowd up and bidding. The MSA would like to thank all participants, attendees, and of course the organizing committee for yet another successful Ice Breaker weekend.
Photo to Right: MSA Chairman Brian Moore (left) presents Gary Tanner, the evening's honouree with an engraved Riachrd Wheatly Fly Box filled with flies complements of the evening's MC Renate Bullock and MSA Director Vince Swazey.
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Upcoming MSA Events You Don't Want to Miss
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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!
Click here to sign up today!
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