Miramichi Smallmouth Bass Eradication

The 2021 project will be the operational component of the larger eradication plan which began with the formation of a Working Group in 2016 and has included a complex set of activities including government regulatory processes, public and First Nations engagement and consultation, development of a fish re-establishment plan and a plan for long-term ecological monitoring.  Illegally introduced invasive smallmouth bass were discovered in Miramichi Lake in 2008. Since then, despite considerable containment and control efforts, they have recently escaped from the lake into the Southwest Miramichi River but are limited to a short section of river. If not eradicated, their inevitable spread and colonization throughout the watershed threatens the native ecosystem including Atlantic salmon. The Working Group hired world leading experts to develop a responsible, safe, and practical eradication plan using a Health Canada-approved rotenone product called Noxfish Fish Toxicant II. This is a common fisheries management tool used throughout the world each year, including in Canada, to eradicate invasive species. The 2021 project includes treatment of Miramichi Lake, Lake Brook, and a 15 km reach of the SW Miramichi River, followed by deactivation to neutralize rotenone, and monitoring to evaluate success and ecological recovery, which typically occurs rapidly after the use of rotenone.

Contact:  Nathan Wilbur, 506-442-2185, nwilbur@asf.ca