News Release
Salmon Anglers Encouraged to Respect Fishing Regulations
Media Contact
Craig Renouf
Fisheries and Land Resources
709-637-2284, 632-8167
craigrenouf@gov.nl.ca
Thursday, June 01, 2017
The Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Division (FWED) is reminding the public that the salmon angling season for insular Newfoundland opens on June 1 and for Labrador on June 15. FWED is encouraging members of the public to help protect valuable inland fish stocks by reporting suspected illegal activity.
In 2016, FWED received 157 complaints related to illegal fishing with the majority of complaints (53 per cent) related to illegal netting. As a result of public assistance, officers laid a total of 151 fishing-related charges for such offences as netting, jigging, untagged salmon, illegal possession and illegal sale.
There was also an increase in the types of offences which have the most detrimental impact on salmon populations. Compared to the 2015 angling season, last season FWED saw a 115 per cent increase in netting violations and a 58 per cent increase in violations related to the illegal sale and/or possession of salmon.
The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is committed to
protecting the province's resources and to ensuring they remain
available for those who respect legislation concerning the proper
management and conservation of fish and wildlife. Suspicious
activity can be reported anonymously and toll-free at any time, by
calling 1-877-820-0999 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
Anonymous online reports can also be submitted at www.stoppoaching.ca or www.nlcrimestoppers.com
.
"We thank the members of the public who continue to report illegal
activity relating to salmon. Our salmon resources are
world-renowned and it is important we protect them for future
generations. By working together, we can protect and conserve our
valuable fish and wildlife populations."
Honourable Steve Crocker
Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources