Fisheries Committee on June 10th, 2026

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you very much.

I want to go now to the Atlantic Salmon Federation.

Mr. Wilbur, go ahead for five minutes, please.

[Nathan Wilbur, President, Atlantic Salmon Federation]

Madam Chair, members of the committee, good evening.

Thank you for the invitation to appear today.

I'm Nathan Wilbur, president of the Atlantic Salmon Federation. I'm joined by Neville Crabbe, vice-president of communications and special projects.

ASF is a 78-year-old conservation organization dedicated to wild Atlantic salmon, with the goal of doubling annual salmon returns to one million. We work throughout eastern Canada and internationally conducting research, advocacy and on-the-ground conservation, always in partnership with indigenous communities, governments, grassroots organizations and scientists. Some of our most unique work has included creative conservation agreements with the Greenlanders to help keep harvest low at sea.

This iconic fish drives over $200 million in annual spending and supports 3,800 jobs in eastern Canada, but much more than that, it is central to the cultural fabric of the region.

The status of Atlantic salmon is mixed. In the north, Labrador and northern Quebec remain a global stronghold, but populations in the gulf region, Newfoundland, the Gaspé and the Maritimes need urgent help.

Three major government-led studies in the past decade have produced a combined 90 recommendations for DFO. Many have not been implemented, and the salmon community has grown frustrated.

However, we are optimistic. Canada has recently released its national strategy for Atlantic salmon, with over $80 million to accompany it. ASF has pledged $25 million in privately raised funding towards the strategy's goals, for a total of over $100 million in new investment. I want to sincerely thank members of Parliament, members of this committee and the Government of Canada for this historic commitment.

Atlantic salmon face many pressures: climate change, aquaculture, predation, barriers to fish passage, land use and low marine survival. ASF works on all of these issues.

One fundamental principle of our approach is to focus investment where it will have the greatest impact. On this point, I'd like to give the committee a concrete example of how you can help increase the number of wild Atlantic salmon returning to Canadian rivers by tens of thousands, and it won't cost the Government of Canada a cent.

Some watersheds have an outsized level of importance ecologically, culturally and economically. The Miramichi was once the most productive Atlantic salmon river in North America, but over the last 15 years, adult salmon numbers have fallen from 80,000 to 5,000. This decline has been driven primarily by one factor: striped bass predation.

During the growth of striped bass from 3,000 spawners in the nineties to 500,000 today, our tracking research has shown a collapse in salmon smolt survival from 70% to less than 10% through the Miramichi estuary, where these salmon overlap with aggregating striped bass. In other words, juvenile salmon simply are not making it to sea. If you'd like to see what this looks like, I have emailed you a short video.

Striped bass are a native species. They have a place in the ecosystem, but balance is needed. This is our number one message today: We urge DFO to establish an ecosystem-based management target of 100,000 spawning striped bass and to achieve this goal by growing the existing indigenous commercial fishery and by allowing bycatch in the gaspereau fishery in the gulf.

This would dramatically improve salmon survival on the Miramichi and reduce predation pressure on other gulf rivers, such as the Restigouche, the Cascapédia and the Margaree, while continuing to conserve striped bass and its thriving commercial, indigenous and recreational fisheries. These are all positive outcomes, and it's a win-win approach.

The current DFO limit reference point of 330,000 striped bass makes Miramichi salmon recovery impossible. DFO has its own policy stating that rebuilding one predator population cannot come at the detriment of other species. We are urging DFO to apply its ecosystem approach to fisheries management, because the department has a responsibility to conserve both Atlantic salmon and striped bass.

In conclusion, to put this opportunity into perspective, restoring the Miramichi salmon population to 50,000 would generate gains five times greater than the entire Greenland salmon harvest on one river system. This does not require new funding or more science; it requires fisheries management decisions right now. This is a solvable issue in domestic waters.

Madam Chair, the Government of Canada has made a historic investment in Atlantic salmon recovery. With the right focus, we can ensure that this species thrives for generations to come.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you very much.

I will now go to the Miramichi Salmon Association.

Mr. Dalton, go ahead.

[William, Butch) Dalton (President, Miramichi Salmon Association Inc.]

Thank you.

My name is Butch Dalton. I'm the president of the Miramichi Salmon Association and the New Brunswick Salmon Council.

Thank you for the opportunity to appear before the committee today.

I'm joined by my colleague Mark Hambrook, president emeritus.

I'm here to provide the perspective of those working directly with Atlantic salmon conservation and to speak specifically to the factors affecting salmon recovery in the Miramichi.

Atlantic salmon populations throughout Atlantic Canada have declined dramatically over the past several decades despite investments in research, habitat restoration, conservation measures and management interventions. There's no single cause for the decline. Atlantic salmon face multiple pressures throughout their life cycle, including changing ocean conditions, poor marine survival, warming rivers, habitat degradation and, specifically for this committee, predation. The challenge is that many of these pressures are occurring simultaneously, making recovery increasingly difficult.

From the perspective of those working in the Miramichi, one of the most significant ecological changes over the past two decades has been the remarkable increase in striped bass abundance. Those of us who spend our lives on the river have witnessed this change first-hand. Striped bass are now found throughout much of the watershed, including in areas in which they were rarely encountered historically, and they overlap extensively with Atlantic salmon smolts during one of the most vulnerable periods of the Atlantic salmon life cycle: the migration from fresh water to the ocean.

Importantly, these concerns are not based solely on observation by anglers or conservation groups. Scientific studies conducted by universities, conservation organizations, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada have confirmed that striped bass, in fact, do consume Atlantic salmon smolts. Smolts have been found in striped bass stomach contents, and acoustic telemetry studies have repeatedly identified the lower Miramichi and estuary as a major mortality bottleneck for migrating smolts.

Recent studies using advanced predation detection tags have provided even stronger evidence. These studies indicate that a substantial proportion of smolt losses are the result of predation by fish and that much of the mortality occurs in the same area in which striped bass are concentrated during spawning. Experimental work has also demonstrated that smolt survival improves significantly when fish are transported around this section of the river rather than migrating through it naturally.

Taken together, the science tells us that the question is no longer whether predation occurs but whether the current abundance of striped bass is creating mortality levels that are limiting salmon recovery. From our perspective, that concern is legitimate, and it deserves serious consideration.

The Miramichi Salmon Association operates one of the longest-running Atlantic salmon monitoring programs in North America. For many years, our data suggested that freshwater production was not the primary problem. The river continued to produce substantial numbers of smolts, but too few of them survived to return as adults. That observation closely aligns with scientific studies showing that mortality is concentrated during migration through the estuary and early marine environment.

What is particularly concerning is that we are now beginning to see signs that production itself may be declining. Preliminary results from this year's smolt monitoring on the northwest Miramichi indicate substantially fewer out-migrating smolts. In addition, thermal refuges that once held thousands of juvenile salmon during periods of extreme temperatures are now supporting very few fish. While these observations warrant further study, they suggest that the population is becoming increasingly stressed.

Current management measures have not halted the decline of Atlantic salmon. While predator management alone will not restore salmon populations, predator-prey interactions must become a much more important component of a recovery plan. Likewise, seal predation, marine survival, climate change and habitat degradation must all be considered as part of a comprehensive strategy.

In the near term, we need to continue investing in monitoring, habitat restoration and conservation hatcheries. We also need to make better use of the scientific information that is already available and adopt a more adaptive and ecosystem-based approach to management.

From a population perspective, there is a growing concern that Atlantic salmon in the Miramichi may have declined to a point at which natural recovery will be extremely difficult without intervention. Increasing the number of smolts entering the system through conservation supplementation may be necessary to rebuild abundance and improve resilience while broader recovery measures are implemented.

In closing, I'm not here to suggest that striped bass are the sole cause of Atlantic salmon declines; they are not. However, the scientific evidence, combined with what we are observing on the river, indicates that predation by striped bass is one of several factors affecting smolt survival and should be considered within any serious Atlantic salmon recovery strategy.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you very much.

I will now go to the question and answer segment. We will start the six-minute segment with the Conservatives.

Mr. Small, you have six minutes.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Mr. Dalton, I just heard you reference lower production on the Miramichi this season. You spoke a little about hatcheries. We can get back to that in a second, but before that, I note that there was a report in 2019 about striped bass and the impacts of striped bass. Recommendations were made. A key recommendation that keeps coming back to me came from stakeholders in your region and throughout the Maritimes about changing the slot size so that fish larger than 65 centimetres could be retained. Did that happen?

[William (Butch) Dalton]

It did not.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

What would have been the impact on the production of striped bass if that recommendation had been followed by this government?

[William (Butch) Dalton]

If you were harvesting these mature spawning fish, you would have a reduction in egg deposition. Consequently, you'd possibly reduce the population of striped bass.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

There was quite a call in that report for the increased harvesting of striped bass. What's your opinion on the increased fishing of striped bass since 2019? Has it been significant or insignificant?

[William (Butch) Dalton]

It's been insignificant. The recreational fishery was increased from three to four fish that you could retain between the slot sizes of 50 centimetres and 65 centimetres. The first nations commercial fishery was implemented, but it was not fully realized by first nations. We're hoping that the 175,000 quota this year will be realized. I hope that will have an impact when it comes to reducing the striped bass population.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

On the proliferation of striped bass, I don't know if you heard Mr. White talking earlier about the sightings of large amounts of striped bass that people were catching on the southern and up to mid-Labrador coasts. We often hear that striped bass are a Miramichi problem, but do you think the bass are proliferating into many watersheds? We know what's happening in the St. Lawrence River. What do you think about the proliferation of these bass?

[William (Butch) Dalton]

I think they're everywhere. I don't believe we really have a handle on the population size. Even the notable population ecologists I speak with have a hard time determining what the population actually is. I think it's getting bigger. I'm not a population ecologist myself, but I know it's hugely problematic.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

Until the government heeds the recommendations of the 2019 bass study, do you think there's much point in investing in hatcheries in watersheds where the bass are so prolific? Do we need to deal with the bass first?

[William (Butch) Dalton]

I believe it's something that should happen simultaneously, particularly in the Miramichi. Our salmon population has reduced to a point at which it's just a fraction of what it used to be. My personal belief is that we should be reducing the bass population while implementing supplementation programs when they're merited.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

You have one minute left.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

Mr. Wilbur, in the 2017 study on Atlantic salmon, there was a recommendation that the Government of Canada lead a delegation to Greenland to lobby on behalf of wild Atlantic salmon. Did that happen?

[Nathan Wilbur]

Canada and other countries meet annually at the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization meeting each June. It happened just last week. Every few years, a new quota for Greenland is negotiated.

I can speak confidently in saying that Greenland has done an excellent job reducing their fishery from a substantial level down to 30 tonnes, which is about 9,000 salmon. Those come from Canada, the U.S. and Europe. Usually two-thirds of them are Canadian. They have reduced their harvest, and they have implemented a very robust reporting system. With their 90% reporting, they've done a good job.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

I have one more quick one for you.

Saint-Pierre and Miquelon is reportedly harvesting around 150 tonnes of Atlantic salmon. I'm not sure if I got that figure right, but you can correct me, and I don't mind. There are reports of salmon coming ashore in Newfoundland from that harvest and being sold on the black market in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Do you think Saint-Pierre and Miquelon is accurately reporting what they're catching? Is it possible that they could be overfishing our stock in French waters?

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

You have 30 seconds to answer. I'm sorry.

[Nathan Wilbur]

We have to rely on anybody reporting to NASCO and ICES that their country's reports are as accurate as possible.

I will correct that figure. It's just over one tonne that was harvested by Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, which is 300 to 500 salmon.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you.

We will now go to the Liberals for six minutes. We have Serge Cormier.

You have six minutes, please, Serge.

[Serge Cormier, Liberal, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Mr. D'Amours, I'm going to talk to you at greater length later, but I just want to tell you that I'd like to spend a day on the river with you.

Mr. Wilbur, thanks for being here.

Thanks to you, also, Mr. Dalton, with the Miramichi Salmon Association.

I know you were in the room before. I'm not going to ask you the three causes that you think.... It was probably one for all of you—striped bass.

I want to go back to Greenland for a second. Yes, as we know, Greenland reduced the amount of salmon that they are allowed to catch, but it's still 30 tonnes.

You said that there were 9,000 salmon, I think, and those 9,000 salmon are returning to some of our rivers, as you probably know, spawning and producing eggs.

Do you think we're doing enough to make Greenland understand that we are at the point now at which Atlantic salmon is on such a decline that it may be time to have a little pause? Do you have talks with them about this issue, maybe to say, “Have a pause, and don't fish for a couple of years”, just to see if we will have more return?

[Nathan Wilbur]

Thank you for the question.

Greenland, as I mentioned, has done an excellent job in reducing their fishery from 1,500 tonnes in the 1970s down to 30 tonnes and about 9,000 salmon.

To put this in perspective, the returns to Canada, in recent years, have been about 600,000. They have been somewhere between 400,000 and 700,000, depending on the year. What we're talking about here is splitting hairs in Greenland.

Our recommendation is to create a maintenance situation with the Greenland fishery, to make sure that we have strong relationships with them and that we incentivize good reporting. ASF works directly with the Greenlanders and the Greenland government on incentivizing, reporting and conducting science. We're expanding that to, I hope, some habitat protection in west Greenland.

We think Greenland has done a good job. We think that Canada should look internally, in places like the gulf region, and reduce the striped bass population to achieve ecosystem balance. That would generate far more returns of Canadian adult Atlantic salmon to Canadian rivers.