The following statement was given in the House of Assembly today by the Honourable Charlene Johnson, Minister of Environment and Conservation:

Moose Licences for Charities Increased This Season

The wildlife resources of Newfoundland and Labrador belong to the people of our province. It is a public trust that we in government hold, to wisely manage these resources in a sustainable and responsible manner. That is why we recently announced a number of initiatives pertaining to the management of moose populations in the province. This includes an increase in the availability of moose licences for provincially registered charities and non-profit organizations.

The program, introduced last year, allows community-based groups access to big game meat and, in turn, they utilize the harvested meat to cook meals to support local fundraising events and other charitable activities. Approximately 300 applications were submitted in 2009 for the 150 available licences. We received very positive feedback from organizations throughout Newfoundland and Labrador that were successful in receiving a licence. For the 2010-11 season, we have increased the number of licences in this program to 200. This will provide additional opportunities for the charitable groups that do tremendous work in our communities to access a harvested moose to support their endeavours.

Applications for these charitable moose licences are now being accepted. Organizations interested in applying for a licence in any one individual moose management area are required to submit an application to the wildlife division of the Department of Environment and Conservation by June 30. The applications are available at all provincial wildlife offices. To qualify for a licence, charities and community groups must be incorporated as non-profit organizations. There is no cost associated with these licences.

If demand exceeds availability on a regional basis, a random draw will be held and the licences will be awarded until that regional allotment is exhausted. A licence will be issued directly to the non-profit organization which, in turn, can designate not more than two qualified big game hunters at any one time to hunt on its behalf. All regulations pertaining to the hunting and subsequent use and distribution of big game in the province apply to this program.

There are many valuable organizations throughout our province that work diligently to fundraise for many worthwhile causes. I am very pleased that we have developed a program that will help facilitate the work of these groups, and I encourage their participation in this year's program.

2010 06 16                                               2:15 p.m.