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June 13, 1997
(Forest Resources and Agrifoods)


Gander River Licence

Today, David Tulk, President of the Gander River Management Association (GRMA) and Beaton Tulk, Minister of Forest Resources and Agrifoods, were pleased to announce the launch of a two-year trial licence for the Gander River. The Gander River Salmon Licence has been approved under provincial authority for the 1997 salmon fishing season.

"We were very encouraged with the support we received from the local communities, anglers, and both the federal and provincial governments during the consultations and negotiations that were necessary to secure this trial licence," said Dave Tulk.

The minster added: "GRMA is to be commended on their vision and dedication to secure this vital tool to help them continue with their work as a community based resource management organization."

This trial licence will be a separate licence from the general provincial salmon licence currently issued by the province, and will apply to the Gander River only. All anglers wishing to fish on the Gander River must have this Gander River licence. There are three categories for the new Gander River licence: the summer season licence with six tags and a split season (these tags are over and above the 6 tags allowed on the general provincial licence), a new licence designed especially to meet the need of the travelling public called "exploratory" licence with one tag for one week, and finally, a separate fall licence.

The revenue generated by the new licence is intended to facilitate GRMA's continued work to further develop community based management on the Gander River. The objective of community based management is to provide a better angling experience for the public, and increased economic benefits from the resource to the local communities. The trial licence will provide information on angling effort and behaviour which will contribute invaluably to improved management of the Gander River watershed and its resources. With better knowledge of the salmon stocks and better knowledge of the anglers who harvest it, the Gander River licence will enable the river to be managed on its own merit recognizing its individual biological properties.

"The proposal for this special licence was initiated by the grassroots," said Dave Tulk. "The local people in the Gander region established the Gander River Management Association, which represents 15 diverse organizations from the region."

"However, as Minister responsible for this resource, I would like to emphasize three key points," said Mr. Tulk. "First, this is a two- year trial licence. Secondly, while we continue to explore and define what community based management could be for the Gander River, I would like to provide assurance that the provincial government will still retain all regulatory authority. And thirdly, the government has committed itself to ensuring that the salmon rivers of the province will not be privatized. We will be continuously monitoring to ensure that the fundamental principle of equal access to this resource will be upheld in the implementation of the Gander River licence.

Over this summer, in the fall and throughout the upcoming months, GRMA and government will consult with stakeholders and various users on an ongoing basis. As concerns arise, changes will be considered and implemented on a continuous basis. Monitoring of the salmon stocks will also be an ongoing task, and changes to the licence could be made based on the health of the salmon returns. However, with the Gander River salmon stocks projected to exceed the 23,000 spawning requirement by 40,000 to 60,000 fish by 1998, this licence will put the resource to best use while the overall management strategy continues to evolve.

  • Contact:

    Dave Vardy
    (709) 256-5000

    Anna Buffinga
    (709) 729-3750

1997 06 13 2:30 p.m.

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