Striped bass boom threatens Miramichi's iconic Atlantic salmon fishery

In the Miramichi watershed of New Brunswick, a surge in striped-bass numbers—estimated at more than 500,000—has coincided with a steep decline in Atlantic salmon, with returns dropping below 5,000 in 2025. Anglers such as Rip Cunningham and Bradford Burns argue the bass are preying on migrating smolts, threatening a fishery that has long defined the community’s culture and economy. Conservation groups and the Metepenagiag First Nation are rescuing and transporting smolts downstream, but four local fishermen have filed a federal lawsuit seeking to force the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to restart a commercial bass fishery that could reduce the bass stock to around 100,000.

DFO officials point to limited data and broader issues like climate change, while politicians such as Serge Cormier and Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson acknowledge the need for solutions. The debate is amplified by the popular Striper Cup bass tournament, which draws tourists and underscores the competing interests in the river’s future.