Province To Consult Public About Future Of Fishery

Province To Consult Public About Future Of Fishery

Wednesday, October 25, 2006 at 14:10

Saskatchewan Environment has announced it will be conducting a series of public meetings over the next couple of months to gather ideas about the future of the province’s fishing industry.

The department says it wants the public to help develop a new, environmentally-sound and sustainable long-term fisheries management plan.

Spokesperson Tanya Johnston says the province’s fisheries are under increasing pressure due to a desire for increased commercial and recreational use, growing access into remote areas and changing climatic conditions.

Environment Ministr John Nilson says while Saskatchewan’s fish stocks are strong, we are harvesting our limit and shouldn’t risk over-fishing our industry as others in Canada have done.

Many of the public meetings will be held in the North in the form of come-and-go open houses. The first session runs October 30th in La Loche. Other northern communities that will be visited over the coming three weeks include Buffalo Narrows, Ile-a-la-Crosse, Beauval, Black Lake, Wollaston Lake, La Ronge, Pelican Narrows, Deschambault Lake and Creighton.

All of the meetings will run from 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

The province hopes to release its new fisheries management plan early in 2008.