'Back to the water': Younger anglers needed to protect salmon resource

While organizations like New Brunswick's Miramichi Salmon Association work to save the Atlantic salmon, many are wondering if there will be many young anglers interested in catching it and working to protect the resource in the future. 

"Right now there's not many younger salmon anglers, they're pretty much older people," said Mark Hambrook, the association's president.

He said when he was growing up his choices of recreational activities were limited to fishing in the summer and hunting in the fall.

"Children growing up today have more opportunities, organized sports, lots of games to play, lots of interaction so people just don't get exposed."   

But Hambrook said the one thing that may get the next generation interested in fishing is interest of all ages in the striped bass fishery. 

With striped bass numbers increasing every year, the Department of Fishery and Oceans has allowed a recreational fishery for a fish with a population that's exploded. 

Return to the river

"There's more striped bass in living memory than anyone has ever seen," said Hambrook. "Today, you can go out to the river in the month of May and there's young school kids in the city, everywhere on the river fishing. It's brought the younger generation back to the water again." 

Hambrook said the hope is if they are fishing for striped bass now, as they get older and look for a bigger challenge, they will try salmon fishing. 

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He added while the MSA membership is getting older, they are working to recruit new younger members. 

"If you would have talked to me five years ago I'd say in 20 years our membership would drop in half, but I don't think that way anymore. I see these young people coming in and getting so interested in fishing that they will get memberships and we'll be able to maintain our strength over time." 

Save the resource

Wesley Curtis is a longtime fishing guide who said to him, it appeared the younger generation had lost interest in fishing. 

"If the fish holds out and a lot of the older guys retire and die off and there's no one to replace them, that ain't a good thing." 

But Curtis remains optimistic about the future.

"There'll be fishermen coming to this river as long as the fish is in it."

Darren Gallant agrees. The 37-year-old has been fishing salmon for 25 years and said he realizes the resource has to be looked after. 

"I think the salmon will be around but in what numbers, I don't know." 

Whatever they are, Gallant plans to be there fishing and will have his young son with him.