Anglers resist changes

When an official from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) asked by a show of hands whether any of those attending a public meeting on proposed changes to salmon fishing on the Gander River supported the changes, no hands were raised.

It was a clear message sent by the 50-plus attendees of the April 13 meeting at the Albatross Hotel in Gander - don't change a thing.

DFO held the meeting to gauge the public's response to two proposed changes to salmon fishing on the Gander River.

Under one recommendation, the river would be reclassified from a Class I to a Class II river, meaning anglers could catch four fish in a season instead of six.

The other proposal would eliminate fall fishery on the Gander River, which takes place from Sept. 7 to Oct. 7. It is the only such fall salmon fishery in the province that allows anglers to retain fish.

Alternately, DFO may make no changes and leave the river operating at status quo.

The salmon fishery begins June 1.

Over the last five years, the Gander River has not reached conservation targets, said Tony Blanchard, chief of resource management for DFO in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Salmon counts for the Gander River come from a station set up at Salmon Brook, located just outside of Glenwood.

Total returns for 2008 were the highest in several years for small salmon at 22,442. That number declined slightly in 2009 to 18,883 - still the second highest total since 2002, but a drop of 19 per cent.

Dave Reddin, a salmon scientist with DFO, said the system for counting fish in the Gander River is problematic.

"It's problematic in that any of the rivers and streams that go into the Gander River, if any of those change over time, the estimate will also change in terms of its accuracy," he said.

Mr. Reddin added counts from Salmon Brook are good, and it appears that young salmon were making it back to the Gander River.

"I guess the issue is, how good is it as an indicator for the entire river," he said.

The conservation requirement for salmon eggs in 2009 was set at 103 per cent, and DFO data showed Gander River came just below that benchmark at 101 per cent.

Close numbers

Over the five-year period from 2005 to 2009, the average egg conservation figure was 98.4 per cent.

"There were a couple of years where conservation limits weren't met, but 98 per cent is pretty close to 100 per cent, so it doesn't seem too bad," said Mr. Blanchard.

Some people who attended the meeting expressed concerns about the hook-and-release mortality stemming from the mishandling of salmon.

DFO employs a 10 per cent mortality rate for hook-and-release salmon, and Mr. Reddin said improper handling of a fish can lead to its death.

Mr. Blanchard said DFO has looked at implementing a hook-and-release specific license. Such a matter comes under provincial jurisdiction, but Mr. Blanchard said DFO has broached the subject with the province.

"There's a side that thinks (hook-and-release) is great, and there's a side that would like to get rid of it, because they don't think it works. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of middle ground. What I can tell you is hook-and-release is seen by (DFO) as a viable management option that has been implemented and we plan to maintain," he said, adding DFO is looking at educational options as well.

The initial recommendations came from an advisory meeting held last fall as part of DFO's annual consultation process, and were put forward by the Salmonid Association of Eastern Newfoundland.

There were no representatives present at the meeting to represent the interests of users of the Gander River. The Gander River Management Association is presently inactive.

Kevin Hurley, the area chief of resource management for DFO in central Newfoundland, said it is essential proponents of the Gander River have a voice at those meetings.

To help move that matter forward, he offered to facilitate a meeting to form a river management group for the Gander River.

info@ganderbeacon.ca