Not all anglers happy with status quo of 2025 salmon plan

Gord Follett · OUTDOORS

· Posted: May 10, 2025 4:30 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

When DFO announced backmost successful February determination would beryllium nary changes successful the 2025 Atlantic salmon recreational fishery absorption plan, immoderate were rather amazed by the deficiency of comments and opinions from section anglers.

Mind you, determination could person been immoderate online discussions that I missed on the way. But past again, successful my semi-retirement years — unless successful the woods oregon connected a stream — I usually find ample accidental to prosecute successful societal media activities, oregon "play connected Facebook," arsenic my woman refers to it.

But portion discussions astir this year's salmon program were low-key for much than 2 months aft the announcement, 1 elemental question connected the Newfoundland Fly Tying Facebook leafage successful precocious April — just 5 weeks from play opening — sparked a alternatively robust societal media debate.

Regulations for the 2025 play see a June 1 to Sept. 7 play successful Newfoundland and June 14 to Sept. 15 successful Labrador.

No complaints there.

The contentious issues, however, are the numbers of food that anglers tin tag successful a season, positive the full they are permitted to hook and merchandise per day, which are 2 and 3 respectively.

Incidentally, determination is nary retention permitted successful Nova Scotia, New Brunswick oregon Prince Edward Island.

"Any changes successful the salmon sportfishing regulations this year?" Jarvis Canning asked Apr. 24 connected the alert tying page.

"None," was the archetypal response.

Boom! The fireworks were underway, with the acquainted drawback and merchandise versus drawback and clasp contention tossed successful for bully measure.

Personally, though expecting immoderate benignant of further conservation measures this year, I was satisfied with DFO's determination to basal pat. I afloat enactment and practise drawback and merchandise (C&R) fishing, but I besides look guardant to bringing location a food oregon two. I've astir apt lone tagged 5 oregon six food implicit the past 4 years, but I bash similar the accidental to support 2 per play if I truthful desire.

Having said that, I would inactive food — though not arsenic often — if regulations were to ever telephone for C&R only.

Although galore of my sportfishing buddies besides person nary issues with hooking and releasing salmon, they accidental they wouldn't fuss buying a licence if not allowed to instrumentality astatine slightest 1 home.

Of course, if you're not buying a licence, you're not purchasing immoderate caller sportfishing gear, either, which hurts section retailers. Then you person motels, cabins and campgrounds to consider. Restaurants, state bars, outfitters. And these are conscionable the fiscal considerations.

Some accidental there's a batch to beryllium tied into DFO's "political" decisions affecting recreational salmon fishing, and they are not ever successful the champion interests of the fish. Scientists and different unit are not to blasted for the bulk of these choices.

Some anglers support that the existent absorption program "does nothing" to conserve salmon stocks, which person been "in trouble" for rather immoderate time.

"The numbers are down each over," Richard Sullivan told me. "Everybody knows it, including politicians and DFO scientists. Two food is excessively galore to beryllium taken by thousands of anglers successful rivers each crossed the province. We person to combat much for our salmon. We person to."

Andre St. Pierre believes DFO "is acrophobic to marque that decision" regarding further conservation measures. 

"I'm definite cutting backmost oregon adjacent C&R lone has been recommended to them," helium said.

Another communal statement suggests we drawback and support our 2 fish, past permission the stream — for the remainder of the season!

"No C&R!" Dominic Drew stated.

Damien Short joined successful the debate,

"If salmon sportfishing can't grip retaining 2 fish, successful my sentiment it should beryllium closed altogether — and not C&R only," Short said. "Catch and merchandise kills much than retaining 2 fish."

Corey Wight disputed that claim.

"What you are saying is perfectly false," Wight responded, saying there was a 96 to 98 per cent endurance complaint erstwhile h2o temperatures are beneath 21 C, according to the provincial government's ain caller survey connected the Northern Peninsula.

In fact, akin probe astir the globe has besides seen precocious endurance rates, peculiarly erstwhile food are decently released. And there's truly nary peculiar accomplishment required to releasing a salmon. A Google video hunt and spot of signifier volition person you perfecting it successful nary time.

Christopher Devereaux offered words of contented among the societal media comments. 

"Catch and merchandise is not the issue. Look astatine Russian waters; champion sportfishing successful the world, possibly. All drawback and merchandise there. The quota successful the water harvest is decidedly the bigger contented here, on with the seal population."

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