News Release

ELSIPOGTOG FIRST NATION RALLIES WITH PARKS CANADA, THE MIRAMICHI SALMON CONSERVATION CENTRE AND DFO IN CONSERVING ATLANTIC SALMON

MONCTON - The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), Gulf Region, today announced that the Elsipogtog First Nation, Parks Canada, the Miramichi Salmon Conservation Centre (MSCC) and DFO are working together in a salmon conservation and enhancement initiative on the Richibucto River Watershed.

The Department issued a license for scientific purposes to the Elsipogtog First Nation under Part VII, Section 52, of the Fishery (General) Regulations authorizing them to capture 500 Atlantic salmon from the Richibucto River for the purpose of collecting scientific data on salmon and other species of fish and gather brood stocks for salmon enhancement.

Elsipogtog First Nation will release all salmon after completing the data collection that is needed, but will retain 50 males and 50 females for transfer to the Miramichi Salmon Conservation Centre (MSCC) in Miramichi where they will be held for spawning, their eggs incubated and raised to various life stages, and released to their original watershed. One hundred and fifty thousand (150,000) juvenile Atlantic salmon are expected to be released in the watershed by next fall.

"The fifteen band members of the Elsipogtog First Nation participating in the project are very enthusiastic about learning new skills on collecting fish population data, learning the scientific sampling process, the salmon life cycle, and river enhancement techniques. They are also learning how a trap net is designed, constructed, and operated," said Chief Levi-Peters.

Through this project, Kouchibouguac National Park of Canada is pleased to continue its partnership with Elsipogtog First Nation. Other related projects over the past several years have included a fish index trap in the park, traditional ecological knowledge studies and sharing of professional and technical expertise. Parks Canada biologists and field technicians will work directly with Elsipogtog project managers and technicians on this latest initiative to ensure the capture of fish, maintenance of the trap and the collection of scientific data.

Mark Hambrook of the Miramichi Salmon Conservation Centre said that they "plan to share some of the capacity at their salmon hatchery for work in Kent County rivers in an effort to restore salmon populations to allow recreational fishing and First Nation food harvest to resume again. This effort will take several years of hard work and we are pleased to assist Elsipogtog First Nation in the salmon enhancement program targeting the Richibucto River."

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For information:

Internet: http://www.glf.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/comm-comm/nr-cp/index-e.html