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Your monthly resource for MSA conservation updates, Miramichi Watershed Information, upcoming MSA Events and much much more.
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Special Thanks to Long Serving MSA Director
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After twenty years of volunteer Board leadership, J.W. Bud Bird has decided to step down from the MSA in all official capacities.
Serving as the MSA’s President from 1996 until 2002, Bud has also served both as the organization’s Chairman and then as Chairman Emeritus. As a highly active Board member, he sat on many Board committees as well as championed many of the MSA’s most successful fundraising initiatives, including launching the annual Fredericton Conservation Dinner, the building of the Miramichi Salmon Conservation Center in South Esk and, most recently, chairing the MSA’s highly successful 60th Anniversary Campaign. In 2004, Bud was awarded the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Salmon Conservation in New Brunswick. (Photo: 'Fish On'- J.W. Bud Bird)
The MSA will greatly miss Bud’s strong leadership, his extremely wise counsel and perhaps most of all, his untiring dedication and service to the cause of wild Atlantic salmon conservation, and in particular the Miramichi salmon. Very few individuals have worked so hard, and accomplished so much, for our salmon resource than has Bud Bird - on the local, national and international stage, the latter as an ASF Director and as a Canadian Commissioner to NASCO.
In recognition of his exemplary volunteer service and contributions to the MSA and to salmon conservation in general, the MSA will bestow to Bud the position of Honourary MSA Director at its next Board of Directors meeting.
The MSA whole-heartedly thanks Bud for his many years of unparalleled leadership and it is our hope that he will continue to share his good counsel with us whenever we might need it. Tight lines to our good friend and salmon colleague, Mr. Bud Bird!
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Conservation Programs Update
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with MSA Biologist
Holly Labadie
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Our first-feeding salmon fry stocking began in late June, with 5 stocks (Northwest, Sevogle, LSW, Clearwater, and Juniper) being released in over 40 sites throughout the Miramichi watershed. As of early July, all of the fish had been returned to the river. A small number of fry were delivered to satellite rearing tanks near Rocky Brook and in Juniper where they will be held until their release in the fall.
Follow-up work on our cold water refuge projects will take place this summer – Doak Brook, Pats Brook, and Otter Brook have been revisited and follow-up (post-work) water temperatures recorded. Indiantown Brook and Donnelly Brook will be done in the near future. We also received funding to complete restoration work at Parks Brook on the Little Southwest, so a pre-work temperature profile will be done there as well.
Numerous beaver dams located on Doak Brook have been breached this summer to allow for the cold water influence to reach the pool where the restoration work was completed last year. Two of our summer students, Connor Donovan and Lyndsay Jay-Keating, have been involved in this task.
Our electrofishing program will begin the first week of August, with focus on areas upstream of beaver dams removed in the fall of 2015 and following up on our stocking sites from this past year.
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Photo: Brenden Joyce, Amanda Jeanson, Ashley Watt and Victoria Chicatun
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MSA Participates in Research Project from Concordia
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During the month of July the MSA has hosted Concordia Masters Student Amanda Jeanson with her team, Ashley Watt, Victoria Chicatun and PhD Student Brenden Joyce.
They are working on her Masters Project entitled; "Life skills training within hatchery systems: increasing post stocking survival by inducing neophobic predator avoidance". The MSA is supporting this research work by allotting them some hatchery space and salmon fry. The goal of this interesting research is to increase survival rate for new fry released into the river by increasing their predator avoidance. For more information on this project Click here
Left Photo: Amanda Jeanson with fry.
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Deadline for the MSA Photo Contest Extended!
Help us capture the best moments of your ‘Miramichi’ experiences; the river, the fishing, the boating, the scenery and of course the people! Send us your favourite and best photos - you could win one of 20 prizes and/or have your photo included in the MSA’s upcoming 2017 MSA Calendar.
We’ve been so pleased with the quality of the entries received thus far that we decided to extend the deadline for this year’s Photo Contest to August 15, 2016. So be sure you get your own photo submissions in before the deadline!
Click here for contest details!
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Walt Geryk in front of Upper Oxbow Adventures during the spey casting demonstration.
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Peter Beardsworth with the first catch of the event.
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The 11th Annual MSA Salmon Classic Another Great Success!
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The Miramichi Salmon Association’s 11th Annual Miramichi Salmon Classic was held from July 10th – 13th, 2016.
This year's 3 day event kicked off Sunday evening with a whole lobster or chicken dinner followed by a small and fun Live Auction, held at the Miramichi Kinsmen Center. Great big thank you to everyone who came out, our wonderful auctioneer Gary Tanner, Brian Matheson and his excellent servers, as well as our very own Stephen Tonning who cut and prepped everyone’s lobster!
Lunches for the 3 days were provided by Upper Oxbox Outdoor Adventures, the Renous Rec. Center, and finished off as always with a BBQ and facilities tour at the MSA's hatchery in South Esk.
The participants were also treated to a spey casting demonstration by Walt Geryk, AKA the Spey Doctor, after lunch at Upper Oxbow Adventures.
The 2016 Classic was also a great success on the river too, with 17 fish having been landed during the 2.5 days of fishing. A big thank you to all the participants, those who donated their private pools and the 13 volunteer guides; looking forward to having you all back next year!
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ASM Displays MSA Campaign 60 Donor Wall of Honour for the 2016 Season
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In late 2012, the Miramichi Salmon Association initiated a major 6oth Anniversary fund-raising campaign to help perpetuate for generations to come, the conservation of our wondrous, but seriously threatened Miramichi Salmon resources.
After eighteen plus months, the public phase of Campaign 60 concluded on April 26th, 2014. A total of 461 separate campaign gifts and multi-year pledges amounting to $2,678,410 were received, an amount one-third greater than the original campaign goal of $2,000,000.
To recognize the Campaign’s top donors, the MSA created a Donor Wall of Honour, which is currently on loan and on display at the Atlantic Salmon Museum in Doaktown, NB. In addition to the Donor Wall of Honour, artworks belonging to the winners of the 2016 MSA Bruno Bokak Art Contest are also on display at the Museum. The Museum and its displays are open Monday- Saturday 9:00am-5:00pm or Sunday from Noon-5:00pm. For more information about the Atlantic Salmon Museum Click here.
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MSA Welcomes New Members - June 2016
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“A true conservationist is a person who knows that the world is not given by our fathers,
but borrowed from our children”
–
John James Audubon
T
he Miramichi Salmon Association was excited to have welcomed
two brand new members into our ranks during the month of June.
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Anthony Hetherington, Hanwell NB
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Virginia O'Donnell, Carroll's Crossing, NB
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Still not a member of the Miramichi Salmon Association?
Membership in the MSA is the perfect way to express your passion and support for the Miramichi River, for the Atlantic salmon who make it their home, and for the vital work being done by the MSA to protect and conserve both for today and tomorrow!
Click here to sign up today!
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