Catch and release of salmon a failed experiment

The catch and release experiment began here in 1984 after serious lobbying by a U.S. business lobby group called the Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF). ASF pushed it as a conservation measure as its donors wanted access to the best salmon fishing spots in this province because U.S. Atlantic salmon populations had declined to less than 1,000. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) succumbed to the pressure from ASF. They planned it as a trial conservation measure and estimated the salmon mortality rate at 10 per cent. Science on catch and release was very weak at the time.

Fast forward to 2024 and science, which is very strong on the subject, has proven that catch and release is not conserving salmon but instead posing a dangerous threat to salmon stocks. DFO still refuses to discuss or review catch and release. The mortality rate with climate change is at least 50 per cent. In fact, many river temperatures during peak salmon fishing reach 24C, causing 100 per cent mortality. Hotter river temperatures are expected again this summer.

DFO has failed to protect or conserve Atlantic salmon in Newfoundland and Labrador from catch and release anglers. When salmon enter our rivers, they face injury and death by catch and release anglers by the thousands. Broken bones, eye and throat injuries, embedded hooks with lead and bladder injuries are common. Most injuries are inflicted on female salmon as 75-85 per cent of salmon in our waters are female. Millions of female eggs are destroyed and female salmon cannot reach their ideal spawning areas due to exhaustion. Their exposure to air during release also reduces their spawning ability. Future generations of salmon are being destroyed.

The 2024 salmon regulations for catch and release will allow about 100,000 salmon to be injured, 20,000 salmon to be killed, wasting 100,000 pounds of wild Atlantic salmon. Catch and release angling has increased the pressure on salmon stocks fourfold.

The total number of salmon “harvested” or killed yearly is more today than prior to 1984. The difference today is that you can only eat about 12,000 salmon, the other 20,000 salmon killed by catch and release are wasted. Totally insane!

Prior to 1984 with a retention fishery only, an average of 32,000 salmon were being retained and eaten. No salmon were intentionally injured. Now the focus is on injuring salmon — not eating them. If stocks can sustain this harvest, better to retain and eat them. Banning catch and release would eliminate the injuries on 100,000 salmon and the destruction of millions of salmon eggs annually, allowing stocks to rebound.

DFO have been ethically and morally bankrupt in protecting salmon. No other wildlife species are allowed to be tortured and killed for fun. If wildlife officials applied similar “catch and release type regulations” to moose, allowing 300 moose to be injured and two moose retained per season per hunter, there would be a revolt among hunters. But when it happens to salmon, both DFO and the province turn a blind eye – even promote it with educational videos. They are ignoring animal welfare rights and supporting cruelty on animals for no good reason.

Both DFO and the province have caved in to business interest which puts profits above protection of salmon.

ASF has been a negative influence on salmon populations in this province for forty years systematically destroying wild salmon with its catch and release experiment. It believes no one should ever catch and eat a salmon again. Rivers should be catch and release only. It wants the rivers to themselves – no more locals on the river. It has pitched the government to privatize the rivers.

ASF has to recognise that its catch and release experiment has failed. Instead of increasing salmon populations, it’s decreasing salmon populations and damaging thousands of salmon. That damage will be hard to reverse.

It’s time for ASF to butt out of trying to manage the recreational salmon fishing in Newfound and Labrador.

The general public must get engaged in this controversy, because wild salmon as a good healthy food supplement, is disappearing fast.

Those working for outfitters must also speak up about any abuse of salmon or regulations. They should not be afraid of speaking truth to power. The future of salmon fishing depends on it.

Local anglers are ticked off seeing recreation salmon angling being completely destroyed under ASF’S influence and DFO’S complicity with them. Climate change has increased the urgency of saving the Atlantic salmon because as water temperature increases so do the mortality. We’re at a point now where nearly every salmon released will die and thousands injured just for fun. Salmon populations cannot sustain that kind of pressure.

Both ASF and DFO must recognize that the catch and release experiment has failed and stop it.

Anglers are on the verge of a revolt. The voice of experience and those who want to save the salmon are falling on deaf ears. It’s time for the all residents who want protect a good sustainable food supply to stand up and be counted. We cannot stand idly by while our rivers are being taken over by business and salmon are needlessly killed and wasted. It’s time for a serious change. The province must make catch and release illegal in 2024.

Let’s take back our rivers before it’s too late. It’s time for everyone to write your MHA and MP expressing your concerns today. Robert Sheppard President of Ban Catch and Release NL Logy Bay