Grand River group wins national fishery award

[Spiel]

Grand River group wins national fishery award

 

 

A group that has been working for 10 years to improve the Grand River fishery has received national recognition for its success.

 

The Grand River Fisheries Management Plan Implementation Committee has been selected by the federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans to receive the Recreational Fisheries Award.

 

Representatives of the committee will receive the award at a ceremony in Ottawa on May 4.

 

• Learn more about the Grand River Fisheries Management Plan.
  

Federal Fisheries Minister Gail Shea told the committee that it was selected for the award because of its “volunteer efforts to improve the fishery and fish habitat in the Grand River watershed.”

 

"The committee’s work has resulted in increased quality and awareness of the fisheries on the Grand River and its tributaries," Shea wrote in a letter to committee members.

 

The award recognizes individuals and organizations for their contribution to the conservation, restoration and enhancement of Canada’s recreational fisheries and their habitat.

 

Donna Cansfield, Minister of Natural Resources for Ontario, also commended the group.

 

"The Grand is today a thriving river with a healthy future thanks to the vision and determination of the many organizations and volunteers who have made the Grand River Fisheries Management Plan such a success," said Cansfield.

 

"We applaud their hard work and dedication to restoring and protecting the natural values and biodiversity of the Grand River watershed," she added. Larry Mellors of Brantford, a long-time member of the committee, said the group is honoured to receive the award.

 

"The GRFMP is the volunteer’s and public’s plan with tremendous technical support from the GRCA, Ministry of Natural Resources and other government and academic bodies. This plan has been applauded and held up as a shining success by many organizations across Canada," said Mellors.

 

The Grand River group was founded in the 1990s to develop a plan to improve the Grand River fishery and then to implement the plan. The plan was completed in 1998 and contained a list of “best bets” – projects that would enhance the fishery by improving habitat and raising water quality.

 

The management plan was prepared by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Grand River Conservation Authority with the input and assistance of more than a dozen different partners and associations including: Brantford Steelheaders, Caledonia Bait and Tackle, Dunnville District Hunters and Anglers, Friends of the Grand River, Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, Ontario Steelheaders, Ontario Streams, Six Nations (Wildlife Management), Trout Unlimited Canada, Izaak Walton Fly Fishing Club, University of Waterloo and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

 

Since then, the group has been involved in dozens of projects such as stream rehabilitation, management of fish ladders, collecting water quality data and conducting research on aquatic species and their habitats. Access points have been constructed and information signs have been put in place to help make the Grand system easier to fish.

 

Some sections of the Grand, particularly the reach between the Shand Dam (near Fergus) and West Montrose, as well as the section between Paris and Brantford, have received national and international recognition for the quality of the fishing.

 

The strength of the Grand River Fisheries Management Plan is that it provides a balanced approach, relying on dedicated volunteers with their community ties and grass roots knowledge along with technical expertise of the GRCA and MNR.

 

The plan provides guidance on managing the fish resources and overall environmental health of the Grand River watershed.

 

GRCA[/color]

 

--------------------------------------------------------------

 

Further information: Dave Schultz, GRCA Manager of Communications

Phone: (519) 621-2763, Ext. 2273

Fax: (519) 621-4844

E-mail: [email protected]