Research Document - 2001/007
Update on the status of striped bass (Morone saxatilis) in eastern Canada in 1998.
By Bradford, R.G., Cairns, D., Jessop B.
Abstract
Five self-sustaining populations of striped bass are known to have existed within Canadian waters. Four of these occurred in the Maritimes Region, with documented spawning activity on the Miramichi and Saint John rivers, New Brunswick, and the Shubenacadie and Annapolis rivers, Nova Scotia. The fifth population, now extirpated, spawned in the St. Lawrence River, Québec. Strong evidence indicates that of the original five populations only the Miramichi and Shubenacadie populations remain as viable representatives of this species at the northern limit of its natural spawning range. Miramichi and Shubenacadie fish are now the sole known representatives of the species within the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Bay of Fundy biogeographic regions respectively. There is no empirical evidence to support claims that self-sustaining populations of striped bass occur elsewhere in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, either along the mainland shore or in Prince Edward Island waters. Biological, ecological, and habitat factors contributing to uncertainty in striped bass management in the Maritimes region are discussed.
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