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Cash in Hand for Wild Atlantic Salmon On the Horizon |
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FREDERICTON, NEW BRUNSWICK, Nov. 20 -/E-Wire/--
The Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) welcomes a one-time expenditure of $30
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million announced by the Honourable Loyola Hearn, Fisheries and Oceans
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Canada in Fredericton that will benefit wild Atlantic salmon populations in
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the four Atlantic Provinces and Quebec.
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Bill Taylor, President of ASF, said, "We are indebted to the Honourable
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Loyola Hearn, who was instrumental in securing the endowment fund as part
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of the Parliamentary Fisheries Committee, and is vigilantly steering the
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fund through the final approval process and to Greg Thompson, MP for New
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Brunswick Southwest, where ASF's headquarters are located, for his constant
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support."
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"It's important to get the funding invested quickly," said Mr. Taylor, "so
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that accumulated interest will be available to river associations and
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watershed committees, hopefully, by the 2007 salmon season."
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Volunteers in 125 river organizations that are part of ASF's Regional
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Council network expend thousands of hours and more than $10 million dollars
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annually in salmon conservation activities. Mr. Taylor continued, "The
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fund will greatly assist these efforts and the sustainability of our wild
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salmon populations by strengthening and expanding habitat restoration,
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education, research, and conservation programs."
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"Economic benefits flow from healthy salmon runs," said Mr. Taylor. "The
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Atlantic salmon recreational fishery is worth about $200 million to Atlantic
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Canadian and Quebec communities, and this will grow as more runs are
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restored."
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The funding comes at an opportune time, when there is a trend towards better
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salmon runs to Canadian rivers as a result of a conservation agreement with
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Greenland fishermen, sponsored by ASF and the North Atlantic Salmon Fund.
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The agreement has suspended the commercial salmon fishery at Greenland that
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killed North American salmon on their winter feeding grounds for five years
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now. At the beginning of the 5-year agreement, Canadian Atlantic salmon
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populations had plunged to an all-time low of 418, 000 and, since then, the
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number has trended upwards to 701,000 in 2005. "Now the endowment fund
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gives us an opportunity to better ensure that the salmon that escape the
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Greenland nets return to healthy rivers in Atlantic Canada and Quebec,"
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continued Mr. Taylor.
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"We are pleased that Fisheries and Oceans Canada is in the process of
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setting up a Board of Directors to administer the fund," concluded Mr.
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Taylor. Since the Fund first appeared in a federal budget in early 2005,
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ASF has worked in partnership with DFO to prepare an administrative
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framework to guide the delivery of the funding.
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The Atlantic Salmon Federation is an international, non-profit organization
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that promotes the conservation and wise management of wild Atlantic salmon
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and their environment. ASF has a network of seven regional councils (New
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Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Maine
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and Western New England) which have a membership of more than 140 river
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associations and 40,000 volunteers. The regional councils cover the
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freshwater range of the Atlantic salmon in Canada and the United States. Contact Info:
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Sue Scott
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Vice President - Communications
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Tel : 506-467-6804 (cell) or 506-529-1027 (office) Website : Atlantic Salmon Federation
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