Quebec introduces restrictions on Atlantic salmon fishing

FILE: A 4-year-old Atlantic salmon is held at the National Fish Hatchery in Nashua, N.H. (AP Photo/Jim Cole, File)

Quebec has introduced new restrictions on Atlantic salmon fishing due to well below-average annual migrations in most of the province's rivers. A conservation group representing the interests of Quebec's Atlantic salmon fishers believes the province should go further.

While pleased with the changes, the exceptional nature of this year's salmon runs warrants a more cautious approach, said Normand Fiset, president of the Quebec Federation for Atlantic Salmon.

"To be consistent with our conservation strategies, we recommend (100%) catch-and-release, at least for the remainder of this season," Fiset proposed.

"And we're going to have to sit down this winter with (the Ministry of the Environment) to determine what kind of management plan to put in place starting in 2025."

The restrictions put in place by the provincial Ministry of the Environment came into effect on July 25.

They apply to rivers in the Bas-Saint-Laurent, Quebec City region, Côte-Nord -- including Anticosti Island -- Gaspésie and Saguenay--Lac-Saint-Jean regions.

New rules for southern Quebec rivers prohibit recreational anglers from catching salmon measuring over 63 centimetres and having spent two or more winters at sea.

Salmon of this size are mostly female and are responsible for a 'significant' deposit of eggs in rivers, the government claims.

- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on July 31, 2024.