Your salmon are in deep trouble, right?

Good morning from the Fundy shore — the tide's turning, and so is New Brunswick. Let's get into it.

I'll tell you what, there are stories you read that make you stop, and then there are stories that hit you right in the gut. The Wolastoqey chiefs speaking out about that salmon conservation facility closing? That's a gut-punch, right there. They're saying this could lead to the *extinction* of Atlantic salmon in the Saint John River. Extinction. Think about that, folks. We're talking about a species that has defined this river, this province, for millennia. To hear that a facility meant to protect them is shutting its doors, just as they're telling us things are getting critical? It just doesn't sit right.

### The Fish and the Future

Now, the core facts are pretty stark: the Wolastoqey chiefs are sounding the alarm after a salmon conservation facility, vital for maintaining the wild salmon population in the Saint John River, is slated for closure. They argue this move, likely for budgetary reasons, ignores the scientific data and the profound cultural and ecological importance of these fish. For the Wolastoqey people, salmon aren't just a resource; they're central to their identity, their history along the Wolastoq River. This isn't just about fish stocks for some faraway fishery; this is about the health of our river, our ecosystem, and a piece of who we are in New Brunswick.

* **Cultural Keystone:** Salmon have been integral to Indigenous culture along the Saint John River for thousands of years.

* **Ecological Indicator:** The health of the salmon population reflects the overall health of the river system.

* **Economic Impact:** While not as prominent as it once was, a healthy salmon run still supports local guiding and tourism, especially further upriver.

For those of us in Saint John, standing here by the harbour where the river meets the Bay of Fundy, it's easy to forget what's happening upriver. But every drop of water that flows past the Reversing Falls, every tide that pulls in and out, connects us to those salmon. If they're gone from the Saint John River, it's not just a statistic; it's a piece of New Brunswick that disappears forever. It's a fundamental change to the very lifeblood of our province, and that, my friends, is something we should all be paying attention to.

Caleb Duguay-Firth, MiTL Sports Desk, Saint John.

That’s a real yarn, right? My mates on the morning show dive into stories like this every day — catch 'em live at mornings.live.