Caught a smallmouth bass? Don't throw it back or you'll face a hefty fine

Anglers fishing in three different areas of Nova Scotia could find themselves in hot water if they toss back certain fish after reeling them in.

The Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture has implemented a catch-and-kill order for smallmouth bass in the Margaree River watershed, including Lake Ainslie in Inverness County, and part of the LaHave River in Lunenburg County. Chain pickerel are under the same order in the East River in Pictou County.

If anglers catch a smallmouth bass or chain pickerel in those areas, they must euthanize the fish humanely and retain it. Tossing back a live one could lead to a fine of up to $100,000 for a first offence and up to $500,000 for a second offence or the possibility of two years' jail time.

Fisheries officers with both the provincial and federal departments will enforce the rule as part of a pilot project aimed at trying to control the population of those invasive species.

"It will be tough to police that but at least it's a good positive statement to be telling people that we don't want them in the watershed because they don't belong in our watershed," said Paul McNeil, president of the Margaree Salmon Association. 

Smallmouth bass were introduced to Nova Scotia legally in the 1940s to try to boost the sportfishing industry after logging and damming hurt native fish stocks. The species was only found in Lake Ainslie about 20 years ago but they're now being found in parts of the Margaree River, McNeil said.

"They're competing for whatever food sources are there for the trout and salmon, but they're also [preying] on the trout and salmon," he said.

"We used to have a great trout run into Lake Ainsley … that's been, I wouldn't say devastated, but it's certainly been reduced."

The Margaree is well known for its salmon fishing but in recent years there have been concerns over water levels and temperatures impacting the population. 

Evan Rice, a fishing guide for the area, worries some of these issues are leading to more predation of trout and salmon by predators such as smallmouth bass.

"When we get into these conditions where the water's really low, all these fish become a little bit more congregated so they can fall as prey a lot easier than if the water was high and they have more places to hide essentially," he said. 

Rice said many anglers had been hoping for a mandatory catch-and-kill policy for smallmouth bass.

Chain pickerel were introduced to the province in the 1940s as well but illegally. The species is known for eating just about anything it can, including ducklings and baby snapping turtles. Efforts have been made to try to stop the spread into sensitive areas like Kejimkujik National Park in southwestern Nova Scotia.

Although the fish have been found in Nova Scotia for decades, the areas chosen for the pilot project have not dealt with them for quite as long as some areas.

"The frequency at which we're seeing them is either relatively new or … we're seeing an increased frequency relatively recently," said Andrew Lowles, resource manager for the inland division of Fisheries and Aquaculture. 

"One of the purposes of a pilot project is to consider how effective it is in that immediate area and I think that we can gauge the efficiency of it in a smaller scale a little bit easier."

In terms of measuring success, Lowles says various surveys are done by both government and non-government organizations on these rivers already, so they will be able to keep their eye on progress. There is no date set for the end of the project.