Tropical fish may become more common around Nova Scotia

This summer’s warmer-than-normal temperatures are hardly going unnoticed in the fishing world. A few weeks ago, fishing editor Gord Pyzer wrote about how this year’s long, hot, and dry conditions have thrown the fishing “rule book” out the window. But the weather hasn’t only affected our native fish.

According to recent news reports, grey triggerfish—commonly found in warmer parts of the western Atlantic Ocean—were spotted in the waters around the Halifax harbour last week. And while it’s not unusual for warm-water fish to ride the Gulf Stream up to Canada, this year’s timing is unique. Tropical species such as triggerfish are usually found off the coast of Nova Scotia in late summer and early fall, when water is the warmest.

Not only have the fish been spotted a couple of weeks sooner than normal, but if the warm weather continues into autumn, this early arrival could also mean more tropical visitors, with some even become permanent fixtures off the province’s coast.