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. 78 January 2025

Happy New Year, MSA Members and Supporters!

As we welcome 2025, I want to take a moment to thank each of you for your steadfast support throughout 2024. Your dedication, whether through time, resources, or enthusiasm, has been invaluable as we work together to conserve and protect the Miramichi River and its iconic Atlantic salmon.

I’m pleased to share that our year-end appeal has been mailed out. With the Canada Post strike now behind us, you should see it in your mailbox soon. This campaign is vital in supporting the work we do, from habitat restoration to hatchery operations. Your generosity drives our ability to make a difference, and I encourage everyone to consider contributing to help us achieve even more in 2025.

Unfortunately, 2024 brought poor salmon returns, both on the Miramichi and throughout Atlantic Canada. These low numbers serve as a sobering reminder of the challenges facing our wild Atlantic salmon. In response, MSA is pressing Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) for a clear stocking policy specific to the Miramichi. This is a crucial step in ensuring we have effective tools to address the challenges ahead.



On January 15, MSA will attend the Eastern New Brunswick Coastal and Inland Recreational Fisheries Advisory Committee meetings. These sessions promise detailed discussions and information sharing, and will hopefully include DFO’s official salmon return numbers for the 2023 season. Understanding these figures, (and receiving this information in a more timely manner) is essential as we work to develop science-based solutions for our river and its salmon.

Looking ahead, we’re already planning our spring lineup of fundraising dinners. These events are a cornerstone of our efforts, bringing our community together to celebrate and support our mission. We hope to see you there and trust you’ll continue to stand with us throughout 2025.

Thank you once again for your unwavering commitment to the Miramichi and its salmon. Together, we can rise to meet any challenge and ensure a brighter future for this river we hold so dear. Wishing you and your families health, happiness, and success in the year ahead.

William (Butch) Dalton

President, Miramichi Salmon Association

Join us for an "Evening With The Masters", as we recognize renowned artists,

John Swan and Luther Kelly Hall who have both supported the MSA for over 30 years.

Awarded annually to a deserving individual, group, organization, or business that has shown lasting commitment to the conservation of the wild Atlantic salmon and environmental integrity of the Miramichi River watershed for the benefit of all species.

The Award recognizes leadership in all areas of activity that have an impact upon environmental protection and conservation of the wild salmon species, including volunteerism and or the practice of advocacy, politics, Indigenous relations, climate action, academia, industry, business, or commercial river management.

Deadline to Submit Nominations is February 15th!

For more information on nomination guidelines and how to submit please visit our website.

Named in honour of J.W. Bud Bird, O.C., the Award recognizes and applauds Bud’s dedicated commitment and service to the conservation of the wild Atlantic salmon.

While the early part of this fall was quite mild, the last couple of weeks have been substantially cooler. This week it has been freezing 24 hours a day with temperatures consistently below normal along the Miramichi Valley.  As the photo below from Boiestown shows most of the river is already frozen. It was well into January before this pool froze last winter.

Given recent suggestions about enhancing Atlantic salmon populations in the Miramichi River, one approach has the acronym of “SAS”. Many people may not know exactly what this is. Let me try and explain.

The term “SAS” stands for “Smolt to Adult Supplementation”. Unlike the more traditional salmon enhancement techniques such as egg planting and fry/ fingerling stocking, a SAS program is focused on the smolt stage. Specifically, wild smolts are captured in the spring during their emigration from the river. Smolts are then transported to a hatchery or other suitable facility where they are reared until they reach maturity. The timeframe of rearing is stock/river specific, with a period of at least 18 months but more commonly up to 30 months for the Miramichi River. These mature adults are then released back into the river in the autumn (preferably from where the smolts originated) so that they can choose mates and spawn naturally thereby providing the resulting progeny with natural environmental conditions for development and adaptation.



Why SAS and why in the Miramichi? Over the past several decades, significant declines in Atlantic salmon returning to Atlantic rivers have been attributed largely to poor sea survival – that is, at some point from the spring out-migration by smolts until their return as mature adult salmon 1.5 to 2.5 years later, survival had declined relative to historic values. During the past decade, especially in the Miramichi River, adult salmon returns have declined even further to the point that 2024 returns will be the lowest in recorded history. Research has demonstrated that a major factor contributing to the decline is the disproportionate low survival of smolts as they migrate from head-of-tide and through the estuary. It seems that the combination of low numbers of wild smolts and high predation risk driven by an atypically large population of natural predators (particularly striped bass) has led to an imbalance in predator-prey relations such that smolt survival is extremely low. Recent tagging data from the Miramichi River suggests that <10% of smolts survive to reach the outer estuary. By contrast, >80% of smolts captured and transported to the MSA hatchery survive to adulthood. A SAS approach targets the obvious ‘bottleneck’ to survival in the estuary. By capturing and removing smolts before they experience high mortality, and rearing them to maturity, the intention is to increase the numbers of salmon available to spawn in the river. Moreover, the technique has already proven successful. A SAS program has been used effectively by Parks Canada and the Canadian Rivers Institute (UNB-SJ) scientists to restore salmon returns in Fundy Park rivers. That program was initiated after salmon populations were so low that they were protected under the federal Species-at-Risk Act. The situation in the Miramichi River is similarly dire and demands immediate action.

Winter is here; tying and framing season is upon me. Although those activities had to wait until I turned this (pic below), into this (just north of three cords). Since it's also fundraising season, the first shadow box framing I completed went into the Miramichi Salmon Association (U.S.) Christmas online auction. Several years ago I framed a set of low water flies that Stephen Nye gave me, so I had the background already in the computer, and I had built a bunch of the same size frames quite awhile ago to frame individual flies friends and acquaintances gave me.

On behalf of everyone at the Miramichi Salmon Association, I’d like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Manley Price, who celebrated his 80th birthday on December 18th!

Manley has been a dedicated Director and steadfast supporter of the MSA for decades, contributing his time, expertise, and passion to the conservation of Atlantic salmon and the preservation of the Miramichi River. His commitment to our mission has left a lasting impact, and we are deeply grateful for all he has done to ensure the future of this iconic species.

Please join us in wishing Manley a very happy 80th birthday and many more years of health, happiness, and continued connection to the river he holds so dear. Thank you, Manley, for everything you’ve done for the MSA and Atlantic salmon conservation!

MSA US Winter Event - Falmouth, Maine

February 22nd

MSA & Outfitters Curling Bonspiel

March 8th

Moncton Boat and Sportsman Show

April 4 - 6th

If you are not already receiving The Leaper automatically:

Miramichi Salmon Association

485 Route 420

South Esk NB E1V 4L9

506-622-4000

admin@miramichisalmon.ca

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