Lets hook the poachers!
Crime
Call in your tips to Crimestoppers - 1-800-222 TIPS (8477)
OR
The Dept. of Justice, Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Division (FWED), now has a toll free Poaching Hotline.
Call the FWED at 1-877-820-0999 to Report Poachers 24 hours a day.
http://www.stoppoaching.ca


Members Frustrated

Posted on May 3rd, 2013

Since the recent budget cuts to the fisheries and wildlife enforcement division, our members have been voicing their opinions through our members voice page. Have a read to see what they think about these cuts. In the meantime read this article from todays Telegram in St. John's, courtesy of our board member Keith Piercey.

http://www.thetelegram.com/Opinion/Letter-to-the-editor/2013-05-03/article-3232659/Opening-the-door-to-poaching/1

««  Read More  »»

Monitoring Migration

Posted on May 2nd, 2013

St. Anthony-based Save Our Char Committee announces migration study on rare Artic char.

««  Read More  »»

ASCF - $15,000 Funding for SPAWN/Provincial Initiative!

(ASCF is the Atlantic Salmon Conservation Foundation)

"The Potential is there for re- establishing a run of thousands of Atlantic salmon in the Grand Lake system."  Stephen Chase - Executive Director ASCF."

This Genome Project will determine the most genetically appropriate salmon to use as a brood stock source for the recolonization of the watershed area above the Grand Lake Dam. A drainage of approximately 503,000 hectares.  Thus, ensuring greater reintroduction success.

Anadromous Atlantic salmon in the Grand Lake system, Humber River, were eliminated as a result of the construction of a dam at its outlet (1925). It has been proposed that enhancement techniques, used in the past to introduce salmon into previously uninhabited areas of river systems, could be applied to the tributaries of the Grand Lake system (O'Connell, DFO 2011). Specifically, brood stocks taken from the Humber River would be used to recolonize areas above the Grand Lake dam.

Critical to the success of such an initiative would be ensuring that the most genetically suitable strains are selected for introduction into the Grand lake system. Therefore, land locked salmon stocks sampled from Grand Lake tributaries will be genetically compared to stocks sampled from Humber River tributaries to determine which anadromous Humber sub-group is most suitable as brood stock.

Beginning this Spring a Provincial team of students, led by Senior Aquatics Biologist, Rob Perry, will collect fish samples from the many Upper Humber tributaries using electro-fishing equipment.  Samples will also be collected from anglers at the Tailrace of the Deer Lake Powerhouse where numerous salmon gather in summer. 

Once the material is collected and a database established the samples will go to a Lab at Memorial University of Newfoundland where DNA analysis will be conducted.  The DNA information will be compared to the DNA from samples of Landlocked salmon collected in the Grand Lake system. 

A similar smaller-scale study was done at Corner Brook Stream where salmon from Humber River and Hughes Brook were introduced.  Upon DNA analysis, scientists at Dalhousie University found a dominant "marker" that was unique from that of the Hughes and Humber fish.  That marker was identified as coming from the salmon that were landlocked in 1925 when dams blocked the salmon run.  That DNA is now the dominant one in fish that return to the river.

Project details will be finalized in the next few weeks.

Keith Cormier
President
SPAWN

(In modern molecular biology and genetics, the genome is the entirety of an organism's hereditary information. It is encoded either in DNA or, for many types of viruses, in RNA.[1] The genome includes both the genes and the non-coding sequences of the DNA/RNA.[2])



MORE VIDEOS for members!!

EIGHT great salmon related videos have just been added to the "For Fly Tyers" section of the website under "Fly Tyers Videos".


Speed Limit imperative on Lower Humber!

A delegation from SPAWN met last week with the Little Rapids Local Improvement District to give a presentation on Lower Humber PWC (Personal Water Craft)  Safety.  The emphasis  was on SAFETY for users, which includes, canoeists, rafters, swimmers, anglers and other boaters.  We presented a folder full of testimonials from persons who came close to being swamped or injured due to high speed PWCs  - Mainly the so-called Jet Boats).  The wake generated by those craft is huge and anyone in a small boat or in the water, is definitely in danger of being placed in a tense situation.

What we want to see is the imposition of a speed limit, say 15 mph.  Let me emphasize that we are NOT looking for a PWC ban.  All we want is protection for river users and that by God isn't asking for anything unreasonable - that my friends is common sense!!  If those craft want to "open-up", there's 18 miles of Deer Lake water and the huge expanse of the Bay of Islands to speed on.

Lets have this in place before this season gets underway - for the SAFETY OF ALL USERS.

ASF Joint Press Release

Posted on March 12th, 2013

Attached for your information is a joint press release issued by ASF and several other NGO’s responding to the recently released report by Canada’s Standing Committee on the subject of closed containment aquaculture.

««  Read More  »»

Only 7% of anglers sending returns!

Dr. Geoff Veniott of DFO's Science Branch gave a PowerPoint presentation on the importance of Angler returns in helping develop management plans.  As It turns out, only 7% of the anglers purchasing some 15,000 licenses are sending in the stubs and this is costing Govt. thousands of extra dollars.  The extra cost is related to 2nd and 3rd mail-outs plus contracting a company to make phone calls.

 Even after this they only get 35% of the anglers responding.  SPAWN feels this isn't good enough and if we are to expect more accurate assessment then we have to start helping by filing our stats.  They can be mailed in or can be completed on-line at:    http://www.nfl.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/e0014404

Do your part by submitting your logs or fill it in on line.

1979 Spawner re-print

Updated on March 1st, 2013

    One of the subjects discussed of late in emails and our recent Board meeting was the idea of re-printing the first             issue of the SPAWNER magazine (1979).

    That seemed to be the one most wanted/in-demand and it has been sold out for about 15 years.  In response to                   requests  we ascertained how many people would be interested in purchasing one - It looks like we will go ahead with     the printing .  After printing and mailing costs we can make it available for $20 including mailing to Canada                     (add another $4 to the USA).

    We would also expect pre-payment to ensure the sale is final. 

    So...If you want a '79 issue, get your order in now as this is a limited publication. 
    Email us at spawn@nf.aibn.com if you want one. 
   You can pay using cheque, PayPal (below), or send your request  with an MC or VISA #.

Pay for your magazine right now using PayPal.

Canadian Orders.


American Orders.

Interested in our projects for 2013?

Posted on February 15th, 2013

We recently informed our members of what we have on our plate for 2013.

««  Read More  »»

Recently approved sea lice control chemical bad news!

Posted December 5th, 2012

    Spawn is opposing all sea-based aquaculture of Salmonid species in the Province!

   We have researched chemicals presently used to control sea lice, like “SLICE” and the recently approved poison “Salmosan”.  Salmosan will be in use shortly by the aquaculture industry to control Sea lice infestation in the Bay D’Espoir area. We are very concerned regarding the long-term effects both economically and environmentally.

   Salmosan will kill all anthropods and copepods in the vicinity of the application, including lobster and shrimp – not to mention other species which feed upon them, like Cod.

   The effects of open-pen sea-based aquaculture on native species like wild Atlantic salmon is well documented internationally. Recently COSEWIC (the Committee On the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada) designated all wild salmon stocks in Southern Newfoundland as “Threatened” and identified salmon farming as a key threat.

   SPAWN President, John McCarthy, stated – “The time has come for the Provincial Government to take a new direction regarding aquaculture. Moving toward a “Green Industry” using land-based operations that have recently been proven to be viable; This is the way of the future.”    A land-based operation will have no negative effects upon regional employment and have no potential negative effects upon natural resource industries like the lobster, cod and shrimp fisheries.

   Presently, to the best of our knowledge, environmental conditions limit aquaculture to just a few bays on the South Coast whereas land-based aquaculture would provide economic opportunity for any part of rural Newfoundland.

For more information:
John McCarthy
Ph: 640-2773
President
SPAWN

   Email: johnmccarthy649@msn.com or spawn@nf.aibn.com

Listen to our CBC interview with John McCarthy.

More Scheduled Rivers Coming

Posted on October 15th, 2012

At the recent DFO Workshop in Gander (members already have details) we learned that the request by SPAWN via SCNL to have more rivers with sustaining runs of Atlantic salmon classified will become a reality.  Of 100 small stream submitted the list was narrowed to 38 and finally narrowed to 20. 

We'll soon learn which ones soon but we do   know that Corner Brook Stream is one of them. The criteria used to select them will also be released.

Membership renewals

Posted on December 8th, 2012

Over 375 SPAWN members have exclusive access to the River Reports and Fly sections of our website via a password which we will issue to you.  They also get the 2013 SPAWNER magazine, two newsletters (minimum) per year and  email updates on salmon news as it happens.  

For just $15 a new member will get all of the above.

Good reasons to join, along with the fact you are supporting one of Newfoundland and Labrador's oldest salmon conservation groups (founded in 1979).

How do I do this??  See "Memberships" on the left.  You can use PayPal, VISA, Mastercard, cheque, cash....VISA and MCard accepted by mail, email or by calling our toll-free number Monday to Friday.  1-866-634-3012.

««  Membership  »»

River Reports

Updated on April 1st, 2011

SPAWN members have exclusive access to the River Report and Fly sections of our website.  They also get the SPAWNER magazine, two newsletters (minimum) per year and  email updates on salmon news as it happens.

For just $15 for a new member you get all of the above.

Good reasons to join, along with the fact you are supporting one of Newfoundland and Labrador's oldest salmon conservation groups (founded in 1979).

How do I do this??  See "Memberships" on the left.  You can use PayPal, VISA, Mastercard, cheque, cash....VISA and MCard accepted by mail, email or by calling our toll-free number Monday to Friday.  1-866-634-3012.

Newfoundland's first Self-Help book for sale! Paul White donates to SPAWN through sale of his book.

Paul White has generously offered to donate 50% of every book purchase through our site to SPAWN. His book is titled "Fishing for Reality". Loaded with nuggets of wisdom from his Grandfather's Life Philosophy combined with fly-fishing examples and stories, this book will help you better lead your life ship in our current world of accelerated change and development.

You might recognize Paul's work as his articles appear in the 2011, 2012 and 2013 SPAWNER.

««  Read More  »»

Book for sale!

We are happy to announce that Don Hustins' new book River of Dreams about Fly-Fishing and Conservation of Atlantic Salmon in Newfoundland and Labrador is now available for purchase through our site using paypal. See our new menu item "Books" to the left or click below. Don will be donating $10 to SPAWN for every purchase made through our site. Price is $29.95 plus shipping (varies per destination and will be calculated upon purchase). Thanks everyone!

««  Read More  »»

Changing Harry's and Flat Bay Classification is WRONG - BIG TIME!!

««  Read More  »»

Didson Recorders

Posted on September 21st, 2008

DIDSON data recorders are proving their worth. Summer trials were successful on Eagle river, Labrador. We asked DFO Scientist Dave Redden for an update and the news is GOOD!

««  Read More  »»

Salmon Wonders

 

Take a peek at a new section we've added called "Salmon Wonders". The first installment is about The Underground Hole on Newfoundland's Northern Peninsula, where salmon journey through underground chambers to reach their spawning grounds. We'll be adding to this section in the coming weeks.

PayPal

 

We're using PayPal for membership, SPAWN Wear and SPAWNER Magazine purchases, plus donations! SPAWN is a registered charity! We will give you a receipt for income tax purposes. Order by contacting us, or fax your order with credit card number and expiry date to 709-634-4091 (VISA or MasterCard accepted - Use PayPal too!).