May - October, 2005

Compliance Monitoring Program

During the above time period, the GRMA had upwards of 3 Guardians hired along with one student. Monitoring was conducted by vehicle, boat, ATV and by foot through a vast amount of Gander River waters. Funding for wages was provided by ACOA, HRSDC, DNR and the GRMA. Funding from DFO was used for expense purposes such as gas, travel, maintenance, etc.

A total of 209 person checks were conducted, 184 gear checks and 20 site checks. Of these, a total of 26 violations were detected. Several warnings and charges were laid as a result of the above checks with more charges  pending. Violations consisted from the use of barbed hooks, untagged salmon, obstructing the duties of a fishery guardian, fishing without a license, fishing using other than an artificial fly and fishing during a closed time.  Nets and jigging devices were also removed from the watershed.  Several scale samples were taken from anglers retained fish and information was provided to anglers on such things as regulations,

Assistance and information was given to fishery officers, contract guardians and conservation officers during the course of the program. Several low risk stakeouts were also conducted.

A massive fish kill was also observed in Jonathons brook, samples of fish and water were sent to various labs for testing. The eel fishery was also monitored from August to October.

One area of concern that is wide spread is the use of worms when angling for salmon. Many anglers are using worms particularly during August and September.  Observations and monitoring was conducted many times, but without the proper video equipment, it was extremely difficult to deal with the violations. It should be noted that the sale of worms in this area during August and September succeeds worm sales during any other time of the year...they are not purchased entirely for trout fishing.  DFO needs to deal with the use of worms as it=s use is growing substantially in the Gander River during the salmon season.

There is also a need for a 12-14 foot boat to adequately deal with situations in ponds and steadies in the watershed.  We received many reports over the summer, but without a boat, we could not deal with them all effectively.

October 26, 2005

Additional fish for anglers

Contact person: Carl Tessier, President Ph: 256-1020(am), 256-4908 (pm)

Due to healthy returns of wild Atlantic salmon over the past two years to the Gander River,the Gander River Management Association (GRMA) will be making recommendations to DFO for two additional tags for the main stem of the river for the 2006 angling season bringing the seasonal bag limit back to six fish. The GRMA is recommending that these two extra tags be valid from August to October. GRMA=s president, Carl Tessier states Awe=re very pleased that we can lobby to have the retention limit increased for 2006, thus giving back to the angling community@.

Background: Because of conservation concerns, anglers have endured numerous bag limit reductions over the past several years to a point where bag limits were reduced to a mere four fish. While there will always be conservation concerns that we must react to, indications over the past two years have shown that the Gander River has met or exceeded spawning requirements. The two extra tags should have minimum impacts on this healthy stock of the Gander.

• Partner with DFO in a Compliance Monitoring Program that will see GRMA staff directly involved in enforcement to further protect our valuable fish stocks.



• Continue to assess the salmon returns to Salmon Brook.



• Collect scale samples and other information from salmon retained by anglers.



• Conduct an annual spawning survey (Redd survey)



• Partner with Inland Fish and Wildlife to research trout populations in the Jonathons system



• Continue our work in salmon management, forest and land use management, safe boating, and water quality.