Heat wave closes salmon pools on Miramichi, other N.B. rivers
Fisheries and Oceans Canada has closed salmon pools on the Miramichi River system due to high temperatures, implementing the warm water protocol to protect salmon from being accidentally caught.
This protocol, which prohibits all fishing when water temperatures exceed certain thresholds, will also apply to the Nepisiguit and Restigouche rivers starting Friday.
The closure aims to reduce stress on salmon, which are already struggling due to a decline in their population in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Local fishing outfitter Karl Wilson notes that the early closures, due to an early spring and heatwave, negatively impact the fishing industry but acknowledges the necessity for conservation efforts.