Jed Sampson, an avid salmon angler from Port au Port East, is one person that won’t be rushing out to purchase a recreational fishery license for insular Newfoundland this year.
That’s because he feels the season starting with one fish retention on all rivers in Newfoundland and Labrador is equal to catch and release.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans announced on Monday the 2018 Atlantic Salmon Recreational Fishery for insular Newfoundland will have all rivers open from June 1-Sept. 7.
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Sampson said it’s certainly not about the money.
“The cost of a salmon license has nothing to do with it. It’s the principle and how this is being handled,” he said of the management measures.
He said the idea of only having one tag and not knowing what’s going to happen down the road when an in-season review is carried out of salmon returns is frustrating. Tag 1 is valid from June 1 until to July 20, 2018.
“I, for one, won’t be purchasing a license until all of this gets straightened out.”
Sampson said he’s been salmon angling since he came back to live in the area 25 years ago and always had success, bagging two to four salmon per season.
“The least they (DFO) could have done is allotted us (local anglers) two tags each and another two later on in the season,” he said.
Sampson believes a lot of anglers won’t buy a license under the management measures set out this year and it’s going to have a big effect on businesses that cater to anglers.
He said it’s the local anglers who support these businesses and those who come in from outside the province come here already geared up.
“To me, it seems like the Atlantic Salmon Federation is running this show through their influence on DFO in Ottawa,” Sampson said.
He’s convinced the ice conditions around the island had a lot to do with the poor returns of salmon to rivers in 2017 and with virtually no ice around this year it will be a good year for returns.
Sid Styles, president of the Bay St. George Salmon Stewardship Group, said he totally disagrees with the single tag management measure up to the time of the review on July 21.
“This means salmon anglers won’t be on the rivers for very long,” he said.
Styles said the rivers will be left to hook and release anglers and its proven they are not a deterrent to people netting the rivers.
In the past month his group has been holding meetings throughout Bay St. George and local anglers have indicated they don’t want hook and release or support one-salmon retention.
To him, DFO is following the agenda of the Atlantic Salmon Federation and their business partners, whom he says wants local anglers off the rivers.
Despite the one-tag measure, he encourages people to stay on the rivers, which he said deters poaching.
Management measures for recreational salmon fishing in 2018:
- The season will start with one fish retention on all rivers in Newfoundland and Labrador that currently have retention. The department will conduct an in season review of returns and the results of the review will inform the management approach for the remainder of the season. Tag 1 is valid from 1 hour before sunrise June 1 until one hour after sunset on July 20, 2018.
- Catch and Release limits are reduced to three fish per day for all rivers in Newfoundland and Labrador.
- Retention of salmon on non-scheduled waters is not permitted.
- Details on the regulations pertaining to bag limits, river classification, closed areas and special management areas are contained in the 2018 - 2019 Angler's Guide which will be available soon in booklet form or on-line at https://bit.ly/2I6NzgT
Source: Department of Fisheries and Oceans
