New Brunswick implements new rule for recreational fishers

Jones Lake in Moncton, N.B., is pictured on May 27, 2025. (CTV Atlantic / Alana Pickrell)

Fishers in New Brunswick are being told to keep several invasive species if they’re caught in certain fishing areas.

Natural Resources Minister John Herron says the rule is being put in place with the hopes of stopping the spread of invasive species as well as to protect natural ecosystems.

“Anglers must do their part to help safeguard our aquatic environments. Every effort makes a difference in preventing these invasive fish from taking over,” said Herron in the announcement Tuesday.

The species fishers are being told to keep are:

• black crappie
• chain pickerel
• largemouth bass
• muskellunge
• smallmouth bass

Fishers can now be fined anywhere from $100 to $500 for releasing these species back into the province’s waterways.

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