Grassroots Movement On The Miramichi Demands DFO Take Notice

 A new movement on the Miramichi is gathering steam in the wake of announcements by some groups, particularly the Miramichi Salmon Association that the staus quo should remain in effect for the 2016 fishing season; that being that no Atlantic Salmon should be retained at all; catch and release should once again be mandatory.

 According to their website miramichiriver.com these folks contend that the resource is being mismanaged with the majority of influence in the decisions made by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans belonging to user groups like the M.S.A and Atlantic Salmon Federation, while discounting input from the people who live and in many cases grew up along the mighty Miramichi and it's tributaries. The website lists a number of points that the group believes D.F.O isn't taking into consideration including factors including the majority of grilse are male and naturally aren't laying eggs, while at the same time may interfere with large adult males fertilizing eggs.

 The group has some popular backers- including W.W. Doak, the Doaktown fly and tackle shop almost as well-known as the river itself. The website contains some interesting anecdotes, including the fact skewed data was being used to calculate return numbers for 2014 by "ignoring" the late-run fish, not to mention the loss of some valuable mid-summer data in 2014 due to trap losses in the wake of Tropical Storm Arthur and another flood and trap damage in September of 2015 which resulted in data loss. This contributed to creating a "doom-and-gloom" outlook when the data was assessed (and subsequently acted upon.)

 If you get a chance to browse their website at www.miramichiriver.com I would urge you to do so. While it's my opinion the Miramichi Salmon should be protected and preserved I thoroughly believe all stakeholders, particularly those who live on the river should have a greater say in the overall decision-making process. While I generally support catch and release fishing, particularly for Atlantic Salmon numerous points are raised that leads me to believe this approach may not be the best for the Miramichi Salmon in either the short or long term. The people who reside along the river as it's traditional stewards possess an intimate knowledge of the river and the intangibles that can't be measured in traps...or in dollars and cents.

I'll keep you posted....

Deer Harvest Numbers Down in New Brunswick for 2015

This small piebald doe braved deep snow
to eat bread crusts discarded for birds.

Harsh winter conditions in 2013-2015, declining habitat blamed for decrease in New Brunswick Deer harvest.

New Brunswick saw it's lowest deer harvest in nearly half a century in 2015, with the total deer kill plunging an estimated 38% compared to 2014. Final numbers will not be available until around January 1, 2016 but based on preliminary data this seems to be the ballpark figure. The province is currently assessing the remaining herd and additional restrictions may be placed on the 2016 hunt; the breadth of such measures will no doubt depend largely on the severity of the upcoming winter.

Deer populations had generally been on the rebound until 2013 following back to back severe winters in 2007 and 2008 however the protracted winter of 2014-2015 ,which saw snow in the woods in some areas into June placed an excessive strain on the herd. Hunters reported a shortage of yearling deer based on sightings and trail camera pictures. As well many adult does did not seem to be accompanied by fawns with the difficult conditions no doubt contributing to a low birth rate and /or low survival rate of fawns that were born.

There is a growing backlash against the forest industry's use of glycophosphate herbicides, commonly used to control hardwood growth in New Brunswick forests. These are cited as a contributing factor as these methods cut down on the amount of available browse for deer leading to starvation and additional stress to deer seeking food.

I'll be updating this article as soon as the final numbers are published.