Last summer, a program aimed at reducing the spread of invasive smallmouth bass and pickerel through Nova Scotia waters home to native populations of trout and salmon was implemented. Now, the catch-and-kill mandate — with violations punishable by fines as high as $500,000 — has been expanded throughout the province. Fisheries experts are hopeful that the measures will ease pressure on native fish by the invasives, but many in the angling community are concerned about the effects of such regulations on species they enjoy fishing for.
$500,000 Fines for Releasing Smallmouth Bass, Chain Pickerel
Smallmouth bass were introduced to Nova Scotia legally in the 1940s to provide additional angling opportunities to waters adversely affected by dams and rising water temperatures due to the loss of overhead cover caused by logging. Since that time, the bass have moved out of the waters where they were originally introduced and are competing with native coldwater species, like salmon and trout. This has become an even bigger problem recently, as lower water levels in some rivers have concentrated the fish, and the smallmouth have been eating trout and salmon fry and parr.
Last September, in an effort to protect native fishes, the Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture put a regulation in place ordering anglers to euthanize smallmouth bass in the Margaree River watershed. This includes Lake Ainslie in Inverness County and part of the LaHave River in Lunenburg County. Anglers that catch a smallmouth bass in those areas must kill the fish and retain it. Failure to do so can result in a $100,000 fine for a first offense and up to a $500,000 for a second offense, with the possibility of two years’ jail time.
Chain pickerel are also a problem in the province. Introduced illegally in the 1940s, they have done damage to native fish populations ever since. Control measures have been instituted in the past, but the new regulations extend to areas that haven’t seen such efforts in recent memory.
Anglers fishing the East River in Pictou County must also kill any chain pickerel they catch, or they could face the same $100,000 – $500,000 fine schedule, including possible jail time.
Expanded Catch-and-Kill Regulations
Fisheries officials have expanded the order for pickerel throughout the entire province, and expanded the boundaries of the catch-and-kill zone for smallmouth. The Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture knows the order won’t eliminate the two species, but they hope it will stop, or at least, slow their spread, and allow native trout and salmon better access to the habitats they need to survive.
“This approach is not intended to eradicate the populations. Rather, it is a proactive, tangible action to reduce the rate of spread throughout the province,” the Department says. The new regs go into effect at the beginning of April. From their website:
Effective 1 April 2025, mandatory retention has been implemented for Chain Pickerel and Smallmouth Bass in the following areas:
- It is mandatory to retain all Chain Pickerel in all waters of Nova Scotia.
- It is mandatory to retain all Smallmouth Bass in all waters east of Highway 102 from its junction with Highway 104, to Highway 118 to Highway 107 to Highway 328 (Ross Road) near Upper Lawrencetown.
- It is mandatory to retain all Smallmouth Bass caught in the west branch of the LaHave River, upstream from the confluence with the main branch, including all lakes and tributaries.
If you catch a smallmouth bass or chain pickerel in any of those areas, you must euthanize the fish as quickly and ethically as possible. You may not release it, or any part of it, back into the waterway or be subject to the $100,000/$500,000 fine schedule, and possible jail time. Anglers may take the fish for personal use, but may not sell any parts of them.
Will the Regulations Hurt the Sportfishing Industry?
Ryan Anderson, an experienced guide that offers trips for a variety of species in Nova Scotia, is concerned about how the new regulations will negatively affect the smallmouth fishery — a fishery that is rapidly increasing in popularity. Trout and salmon fishing aren’t what they used to be, Anderson says, and smallmouth and pickerel have largely stepped up to fill their shoes.
“A hundred years ago, it was all trout. The last 50 or 60 years, it’s been smallmouth and trout,” the veteran guide says. “The new regulations are aimed at preventing the illegal introduction of smallmouth which is something we can get behind. But these regulations were forced through without any public input. We were just told in a couple of weeks we had to kill all the pickerel and many of the smallmouth caught in Nova Scotia.”
The smallmouth population supports a thriving recreational fishing scene, complete with local derbies. A number of guides spend the warmer months taking anglers out in pursuit of bronzebacks, but Anderson worries that could all come to an end.
“The best smallmouth fishing is in the western part of the province, and they are safe for now,” Anderson says. “But with the pressure from the salmon groups, the catch-and-kill regs could be pushed further. This would eliminate some of the best fishing in the province.”
Anderson questions the push to eliminate the smallmouth populations when nothing is being done to improve the trout populations that have declined in recent years.
“We’re destroying fisheries without any real possibility of replacing them,” he says.
Reporting Smallmouth and Pickerel Catches
The Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture has asked anglers to report any smallmouth bass or chain pickerel caught in areas where they were not previously known to exist, They ask that anglers include GPS coordinates if possible and photos of the fish, and send that info by email to reportais@novascotia.ca or by phone at 1-902-485-5056. They also ask that the public report sightings of any invasive species, if possible with date, location and picture to DFO.MARAquaticInvasiveSpecies-EspecesAquatiquesEnvahissante.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.
