New Brunswick Salmon Council Live Release Policy
ASF actively promotes the live release of large wild Atlantic salmon and grilse by anglers until wild Atlantic salmon stocks have recovered to sustainable levels on a river specific basis. ASF will encourage all anglers to utilize barbless or crimped barb hooks while angling.
Relevant Resolutions:
*Catch & Release - November 12, 1985 (Board of Directors U.S.): The ASF position on Catch and Release of Atlantic salmon is: ASF endorses catch and release as one means of supporting conservation of salmon, and that the parameters of any catch and release program should be determined on a river by river basis. b) ASF supports mandatory catch and release of multi-sea-year salmon where this is necessary to rebuild spawning stocks. c) ASF supports mandatory catch and release in preference to river closures as a conservation measure in that 1) angling opportunities are maintained without detriment to spawning stocks. 2) the presence of anglers on a river assists in deterring poaching and 3) economic benefits and jobs in the community are maintained.
*Catch & Release - November 13, 1997 (Board of Directors U.S.): It was resolved that the Atlantic Salmon Federation call upon salmon anglers wherever they may fish to practice catch and release of large salmon and grilse
until Atlantic salmon stocks have recovered.
*Catch & Release - April 17, 1999 (Joint Board of Directors): It was resolved that the following resolution passed in November, 1997 be re-ratified for the 1999 season: It was resolved that the Atlantic Salmon Federation calls upon salmon anglers wherever they may fish to practice catch and release of large salmon and grilse until Atlantic salmon stocks have recovered.
*Catch & Release - November 11, 1999 (Joint Board of Directors): All in attendance agreed that the wild Atlantic salmon is in crisis and re-affirmed the following resolution: It was resolved that the Atlantic Salmon Federation calls upon salmon anglers wherever they may fish to practice catch and release of large salmon and grilse until Atlantic salmon stocks have recovered.
*Catch & Release – April 14, 2000 (Joint Board of Directors): It was resolved that the Atlantic Salmon Federation take such action as may from time to time be necessary to encourage and promote catch and release techniques in the wild Atlantic salmon angling community and public education respecting the same as well as maintaining an ongoing dialogue with various orders of government with a view to having a catch and release fishery recognized as an important tool for the conservation and protection of the wild Atlantic salmon.
*Barbless Hooks – April 25, 2003 (Joint Board of Directors): Whereas it is ASF policy to support live release angling as a conservation measure and,Whereas the current live Release Angling (Catch and Release) Policy provides for ASF actively promoting the live release of large wild Atlantic salmon and grilse by anglers until wild Atlantic stocks have recovered to sustainable levels on a river-specific basis and,Whereas barbless hooks are shown to facilitate live release of fish and to reduce the possibility of injury to the fish, be it resolved therefore, that ASF amend its Live Release Angling (Catch and Release) Policy to add the following provision: “ASF will encourage all anglers to utilize barbless or crimped barb hooks while angling.”