Miramichi River Salmon release measures to stay in 2012

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TIMES & TRANSCRIPT - Environment

Salmon release measures to stay

By James Foster

Times & Transcript Staff
24 Jan 2012

MIRAMICHI — The headwaters of the Miramichi River will be under fishing restrictions for the coming fishing season and next season as well, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans says.

The department implemented catch-and-release only fishing for much of the Miramichi River system last year as a conservation measure and the no-kill rule is expected to remain until at least 2013, including on the popular Crown Reserve stretches of the affected rivers.

Anglers will still be allowed to fish in the area, but they’re only allowed to hook and release four salmon or grilse per day after which they must stop fishing. A grilse is a salmon that has returned to freshwater after spending only a year at sea. They are usually about four pounds.

The Miramichi Watershed Committee put together a conservation plan for the river system but so far the catch-and-release provisions are the sole measure being implemented.

In 2010 the DFO completely closed large sections of the river system to all fishing due to low water and high temperatures putting undue stress on the fish.

Last year, though, fishermen reported the best success they’ve seen in many years.

The restrictions apply to the Little Southwest Miramichi, the Lower North Branch of the Little Southwest (upstream from Catamaran Brook,) the Sevogle, the North Branch of the Sevogle (upstream from and including Square Forks) and the Northwest Miramichi (upstream from Little River.)

The stretch of the North West Miramichi from Little River downstream to Wayerton Bridge at Route 430 will be catch and release from June 1 to July 31.

The DFO says the rules will remain in place until the end of next year’s fishing season unless there is a major change in fish stocks.

“At the end of the 2013 season, these measures would be subject to a review to determine if they continue to be adequate,” the department says.

Atlantic salmon returns on the Northwest Miramichi system only achieved 53 per cent of conservation requirements in 2010 and 34 per cent in 2009. The conservation requirement is the minimum spawning requirements to ensure conservation of the salmon stocks.

While last’s year’s conservation requirement numbers were not immediately available, fishermen reported that stocks rebounded in a big way, with the best fishing in many years.

Counts of adult salmon surpassed historical averages at all counting fences and traps along the river system with the exception of the counting fence at Juniper last year.

Again with the exception of Juniper, the number of grilse was double or triple historical averages at those locations where fish are counted, something that usually foretells a jump in the number of big salmon coming back to spawn in succeeding years.

A recent case study of the Miramichi River, which boasts among the largest salmon runs in North Atlantic, shows the river’s salmon activity contributes $16 million to the GDP and creates 637 full time equivalent jobs. The Miramichi attracts visitors from around the world for its renown salmon fishing. The study was commissioned by the Atlantic Salmon Federation.


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