Fish Stocking Program
Natural Resources and Energy Development
Overview
Our Fish stocking program aims to stock brook trout and landlocked salmon into New Brunswick's inland waters each year. Most Fishing Licences include a fee which supports the Stocking Program (excluding Crown Reserve and Day Adventure).
Eligibility
Our Fisheries Biologists determine locations that are appropriate for stocking based on a number of factors including biological criteria, habitat, access and results of historical stocking.
Description
Our program
We strive to provide quality fishing opportunities in New Brunswick’s inland waters by managing wild, naturally-reproducing fish populations and their habitat. In some cases, stocking hatchery-raised fish is an effective strategy.
Our fish stocking program focuses on brook trout and landlocked Atlantic salmon and is used to provide enhanced recreational angling opportunities, where appropriate.
Stocking principles
When used indiscriminately, stocking can harm wild fish populations. Hatchery-produced fish can introduce disease or reduce the genetic fitness of naturally-reproducing fish. In order to minimize negative impacts to natural populations and optimize benefits to anglers, our fish stocking program is based on the following principles.
We only stock fish that are:
- A strain appropriate for the waterbody to be stocked.
- Certified disease free.
We only stock waters that:
- Have suitable conditions to support the stocked fish.
- Generally, have previously supported the fish species being stocked.
- Are accessible to the public.
We will not stock:
- Waters that are already providing an acceptable recreational fishery.
- Waters that are producing target species (landlocked salmon, brook trout) at near maximum levels.
- Waters where previous stocking efforts have been unsuccessful.
- Specifically for commercial benefit.
Stocking targets
We aim to stock the following numbers of fish to waters throughout New Brunswick each year:
Brook Trout: 60,000 Fall Fingerling (FF) at 10 to 15 cm
Brook Trout: 100,000 Spring Yearling (SY) at 15 to 20 cm
Landlocked Salmon: 38,000 Spring Yearling (SY) at 15 to 20 cm
However, there will be times when additional fish must be released as a result of a surplus. These fish are not part of the annual fish stocking program and will usually be released as:
Fry (Fry)
Fall yearlings (FY)
Adult (A)
Stocking Program Assessment
Before being stocked, each fish has a fin clipped. This is to help identify a stocked fish from a wild fish. If you catch a brook trout or landlocked salmon with a fin clip while fishing please add a note on your annual angler survey indicating the fork length, the water body, the date of capture and which fin was clipped using the letter codes below. Your information is important to help us evaluate the stocking program!
Fin-Clip (Code)
Adipose (AD)
Left ventral (LV)
Right ventral (RV)
Fees
Unless otherwise specified, Fees exclude the harmonized sales tax (HST).
| Fee Description | Rate in $ | Effective Date YYYY-MM-DD | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fish Stocking Fee | 5.00 | 2004-12-23 | |
| Contact Information | Location |
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