11 26/24
The Honorable Susan Holt
Premier, Province of New Brunswick
Chancery Place, 675 King Street
Fredericton, New Brunswick
E3B 1E9
Madam Premier:
I am writing on behalf of a group who have reached a state of exasperation and frustration over an Atlantic salmon crisis on the Miramichi caused by the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans failure to protect Atlantic salmon stocks from voracious striped bass predation which threatens the very extirpation of salmon stocks on our great river. Our small independent group has retained legal counsel who has sent the attached letter to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and various other officials in that department demanding immediate action.
We recognize the place of indigenous interests in the fishery based on the applicable constitutional rights and court decisions. Other established organizations have been approached to carry this fight but are unable to, given their close financial relationship with DFO.
Our actions are predicated on strong science supported by two eminent fisheries scientists: Dr. John Ritter, a former DFO biologist, and Dr. Allen Courier, UNB professor and Director of the Canadian Rivers Institute. Our scientific analysis is coordinated by a former fisheries biologist and employee of the Province, John Bagnall.
The loss of salmon to the Miramichi has a huge impact on the province. It is not just for the tragedy of a lost species, but also for the loss of a critical part of the culture, the recreation and the revenue of the Province. This historical importance is symbolized by the fact that an Atlantic salmon holds up the Crown in the New Brunswick coat of arms.
If DFO does not respond immediately to this crisis, our group is prepared to initiate legal action against them alleging at best that their science is woefully or unreasonably bad as our experts have clearly established and which has led to substantially unreasonable ministerial/departmental actions. At worst they have created a striped bass enhancement initiative that has run amuck, gone nuclear. While DFO looks pridefully at this accomplishment they irresponsibly ignore the harmful impacts. They have turned a blind eye to the science of rampant over-population and in the process disregarded all principles of precautionary fishery management principles and eco balance of species and attendant economics on the Miramichi. This includes a complete disregard of their indigenous and non-indigenous fisheries management obligations.
We see our looming court battle as a major challenge, and we are seeking the Province’s support on all fronts. Certainty there is a clear pecuniary interest at stake for the Province, that is quite separate from NB’s shared but lesser fisheries management jurisdiction under Canada’s constitution.
Our request, our hope, is that this threat of ecological disruption and of economic loss would lead the province to consider joining in any hard negotiations with DFO over this threat. Or failing direct timely remedial action by DFO that the Province would consider joining in with collateral or parallel litigation.
We would be prepared to meet with yourself and the appropriate Ministers and officials of the Department of Natural Resources as soon as possible to discuss this request in detail.
Sincerely,
Save Miramichi Salmon Inc.
Per: Alex Mills
Director
Cc The Honorable John Heron
Minister of Natural Resources and Energy Development