Wild salmon advocates are sounding the alarm as an exploding striped bass population is being felt in prime New Brunswick salmon pools.
Schools of the voracious fish, which normally feed in coastal waters at this time of year, were seen up to 100 kilometers above tidal waters in iconic salmon areas such as Rocky Brook on the Miramichi River and Larry’s Gulch on the Restigouche.
LINK (via: CBC News)
Its like blaming seals for the collapse of the ground fish stocks in Nfld. The problems for salmon in the Atlantic provinces are many. Stripers are just at the wrong place at the wrong time. All the efforts the ASF has made in the last 50 years has sadly not slowed the decline.
I think we have to look at measures to manage bass but a commercial fishery or looking at them in the same light as say, chain pickerel is hurried and foolish. They are a fantastic game fish. Lets be thankful(and realistic) they are in the numbers they are.