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.

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).

The Northwest Miramichi River estuary is the only confirmed successful spawning ground for Striped bass in the entire southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, as established by DFO science. The closure of all angling in the area and during the time when the Striped bass are most concentrated and actively spawning aims at ensuring the best success of spawning activities and the continuous health of the Striped bass stock in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence. With the exception of the area described above, the recreational fishery will remain open throughout the Miramichi river system during the striped bass spawning period.

Please refer to Gulf Variation Order 2017-038 which will be issued on May 31, 2017, for further details. The Orders Registry is available online at:

Orders Registry – Order summaries for existing fisheries

Anyone wishing to report suspicious fishing activity anonymously is asked to contact the nearest Fisheries and Oceans Canada office or to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

See the Recreational fishing plan for Striped bass in the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence in 2017

*The notice published on May 4, 2017, was updated to indicate the dates of the closure.

For more information on this fishery, please contact:

Frédéric Butruille
A/Regional Senior Fisheries Management Officer
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Moncton, New Brunswick
506-851-7358

*http://inter-w02.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Gulf/FAM/Recreational-Fisheries/Notice-Striped-Bass-2017