Your monthly resource for MSA conservation updates, Miramichi watershed information, upcoming MSA events, and much more.

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.

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Vol. 100 November 2026

President's Update

By Butch Dalton

Hello MSA Members and Supporters,

It has been a busy month for the MSA, and I want to take a moment to provide an update on a few of our recent activities and what lies ahead.

First, our Saint John Autumn Dinner and Auction was held on November 4th, and we had a great evening. Thank you to all of our generous sponsors, the dinner committee, our staff, and everyone who came out to support the MSA and enjoy the evening. These events take considerable effort to organize, and we are grateful to everyone who continues to make them successful.

This brings our in-person fundraising events for the year to a close. However, we aren't finished yet! We will be launching our annual Carleton County Christmas Online Auction in the coming weeks. We look forward to another successful auction and appreciate the continued support of our members and the broader community.

On the hatchery front, we are nearing the end of our spawning season. We are hopeful that we will finish with close to one million eggs for incubation over the winter. This is an important part of our ongoing conservation work, and I want to recognize our hatchery staff and all the volunteers who helped with this process for their hard work and dedication throughout the spawning season.

There are also some important decisions ahead for the future of our hatchery operations. As many of you know, the MSA Board of Directors voted to shut down the big greenhouse for the winter as a cost-saving measure. I will be meeting with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) in the coming week or so to discuss potential options for the hatchery moving forward.

Depending on the outcome of those discussions, we will either look at reopening the big greenhouse in the spring or make a decision about whether the MSA can continue operating the hatchery. These are not easy decisions, but they are necessary given the financial and operational challenges we face. Our priority remains the conservation of Atlantic salmon on the Miramichi, and we will continue to assess every reasonable option before determining the best path forward.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support of the Miramichi Salmon Association. Your commitment to our organization and to the future of wild Atlantic salmon is greatly appreciated.

William (Butch) Dalton

President, Miramichi Salmon Association

MSA Autumn Dinner & Auction
Thanks to all who attended!

The Miramichi Salmon Association had a great evening on November 4th at our annual Autumn Dinner and Auction, held at a new venue this year, the Saint John Trade and Convention Centre.

It was a terrific night, with a strong live auction and, most importantly, an opportunity to reconnect with many of our valued supporters from the Saint John area. We are grateful to everyone who came out, supported the MSA, and helped make the evening such a success.

We were also pleased to welcome Stephanie Maheux, who delivered an excellent presentation on the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) to detect striped bass and Atlantic salmon in the Miramichi watershed. This is exciting work that has real potential to strengthen our understanding of these species and their interactions. Thank you, Stephanie, for sharing your work with us.

A special thank you to Cooke, our Platinum Sponsor for the evening, for their generous support, and to Connors Stillwell for sponsoring the wine.

Thank you to the hard-working Saint John dinner committee and dedicated staff at the MSA. These events take a tremendous amount of work behind the scenes, and their commitment and effort make evenings like this possible.

Thank you to everyone who joined us. Your continued support makes a real difference in our efforts to conserve and protect wild Atlantic salmon on the Miramichi.

Last Salmon of the Season Award
Congratulations to Axel Lerche!

Congratulations to Country Haven Lodge Miramichi guide Axel Lerche! Axel is the winner of the Miramichi Salmon Association’s Last Fish of the Season contest, landing the final fish below the Blackville Bridge on October 15th! Axel landed this beauty with a Black Marabou tube fly with pink flash tied by Jim Perez from Sherman, ME. Congratulations, Axel, on a great catch and a fitting way to wrap up another salmon season on the Miramichi. Thanks to everyone who took part, and here’s to another great season on the river next year!

Spawning at the MSCC
Thank you to our volunteers and supporters!

As we wrap up our spawning season at the Miramichi Salmon Conservation Centre, the hard work and dedication of our staff and volunteers from UNB/CRI, ASF, Anqotum, and MSA board members Rick Cunjak and Mark Hambrook, has been paramount to the success of this program.

This critical time in the Atlantic salmon life cycle is essential for ensuring the future of Atlantic salmon in the Miramichi River system. This year our team collected wild broodstock from the Dungarvon River and has completed spawning of our smolt-to-adult Dungarvon hatchery broodstock to support our ongoing Dungarvon River experimental fry stocking program, which aims to replenish salmon populations and support the overall health of the ecosystem.

Staff will care for the incubating eggs all winter until they hatch in the spring and are stocked as first-feeding fry back into the Dungarvon River. Egg care requires daily water quality monitoring and cleaning of filters and tanks, weekly anti-fungal treatments, and detailed data collection. Their commitment to this work and attention to care for these eggs is crucial for the success of this program!

This shared effort reflects the strong community spirit that defines the MSA and reminds us that, by working together, we can help secure a thriving future for Atlantic salmon in the Miramichi. We extend a huge thank you to our volunteers and supporters this year!

Beaver Dam Management Program

The MSA Beaver Dam Management crew has officially wrapped up the field season. A big thank you to Joneil and Seth for all their hard work this year!

Throughout the fall season, the crew worked to notch beaver dams to improve fish passage, helping Atlantic salmon and other fish access important upstream habitat throughout the watershed.

A huge thank you to the New Brunswick Wildlife Trust Fund (NBWTF) for funding this project and supporting this important work on the Miramichi watershed.

Another field season in the books!

Before

After

MSA US Winter Event

Save the Date!

The Miramichi Salmon Association (US) will host its annual fundraising dinner on Saturday, February 6th, 2027 at the Portland Country Club, and this year we are proud to honour Byron "Byzie" Coughlan—owner of Country Haven Lodge Miramichi.

The evening will feature an excellent silent and live auction, offering a range of unique items and experiences. For those unable to attend in person, the event will also include a live stream, allowing supporters near and far to take part in the celebration.

We hope that MSA directors and supporters from both sides of the border will consider joining us for what promises to be a memorable evening in support of our conservation mission.

Tickets will be available to purchase in the coming weeks.