MIRAMICHI – The Miramichi Salmon Association is recommending another catch-and-release only policy for Atlantic Salmon next year.
Mark Hambrook speaks for the Association and says the province needs another season of the policy to help struggling salmon numbers.
“Even though we had some improved numbers in 2015 we still are not where we should be yet,” he said.
In April, Fisheries and Oceans Canada announced a province-wide ban on anglers keeping Atlantic Salmon for this year.
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Hambrook says the official return numbers for this year haven’t been released yet by the government.
But he isn’t expecting a big increase.
“Just by reviewing how many fish that have been coming in this year compared to other years you can speculate as to what the strength of the return is,” he said.
The recommendation is gaining support from some anglers.
Bryant Freeman is a long-time angler who runs a fly-tying business from his home called Eskape Anglers.
He says the catch-and-release policy hurt his business, but he says it’s worth it to help the struggling salmon population.
“Money isn’t everything,” he said. “We release our fish so the next guy can have a chance to enjoy the sport of fly fishing.”
The recommendation needs to be approved by the federal government before it can be enforced.
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