Premier announces implementation of new Fisheries Enforcement Program

Premier Danny Williams today announced that the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is taking action to provide new enforcement resources on salmon rivers throughout the province. Effective immediately, the province will be implementing a new Inland Fisheries Enforcement Program, within the Department of Natural Resources.

"Over the past several years, the federal government has failed to provide the financial resources required to deliver adequate enforcement on our inland waters, despite the fact that they are responsible for enforcement and conservation on salmon rivers in the province," said Premier Williams. "Studies continue to indicate that the population of the Atlantic Salmon is declining, and we can no longer sit back and leave this resource unprotected. Stakeholder groups have been asking the province to become more involved for many years in order to compensate for the cuts by DFO and today we are taking action because these stocks can no longer afford to wait for the federal government to step up with more conservation resources."

The Inland Fisheries Enforcement Program will consist of a dedicated team of 20 highly trained conservation officers who have a strong enforcement background. This team will work in partnership with the limited enforcement capacity of the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) currently in the province. The team will target the most serious types of offenses such as illegal netting and organized poaching.

"As recently as last month, we saw individuals being charged with serious offenses," added the premier. "Individuals partaking in this illegal activity either do not understand or simply do not care about the damage they are causing. Irresponsible and reckless fishing practices, whether off the Grand Banks or in a small inland river, lead to the decimation and destruction of fishery resources and we will no longer stand by and leave these vulnerable resources unprotected. We cannot, as a province, on one hand condemn foreign over-fishing and on the other allow these illegal practices to continue right here at home."

There are 186 licensed salmon rivers in Newfoundland and Labrador with approximately 69 per cent of all Atlantic Salmon caught in Canada coming from these waters. It is estimated that stocks are only 30 per cent of what they were in the 1980s.

"The Atlantic Salmon is a resource that has provided generations of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians with a quality outdoor recreational experience. In addition, the Atlantic Salmon is a critical component of the province�s attractiveness as a unique tourist destination. Accordingly, it is imperative that the appropriate steps be taken now to protect this resource from poaching and other illegal activities."

Earlier this year, Premier Williams wrote the federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans requesting more funding for additional enforcement and conservation resources for inland fisheries. The Premier said the province will continue to push the federal government to live up to its responsibility to provide the necessary resources for proper enforcement on the province�s inland waters. Premier Williams will also bring the issue forward to his colleagues at the next Council of Atlantic Premiers meeting.

Media contact: Elizabeth Matthews, Office of the Premier, (709) 729-3960 or (709) 690-5500

2004 07 13                                       9:25 a.m.