ATLANTIC SALMON SPORT FISHING

Intentions for the 2025 season

NEWS PROVIDED BY

Ministère de l’Environnement,
de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs

October 28, 2024, 15:21 ET

QUÉBEC, October 28, 2024 – The Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (MELCCFP) has announced its intentions for the measures of the 2025 Atlantic salmon sport fishing season. These will be the subject of consultations over the coming weeks. This announcement comes against a backdrop of historically low runs in the summer of 2024 and a high probability of low runs of large salmon in most Québec rivers for the 2025 season, excluding rivers in Nord-du-Québec. In anticipation of the fishing stay booking period, the MELCCFP wishes to inform fishers of the salmon sport fishing measures that may be in effect for the next season. These intentions are in line with the orientations of the MELCCFP’s salmon management plan, which provides for measures specific to the situation of each river and consistent with the specie’s situation in the province.

FOR LARGE SALMON (63 CM OR MORE IN LENGTH):

• Mandatory catch and release from the beginning of the fishing season (including Moisie, Saint-Jean Côte-Nord, Natashquan and Causapscal rivers).
• No retention as of August 1, 2025 for normally eligible rivers.

FOR SMALL SALMON (LESS THAN 63 CM IN LENGTH):

• Mandatory catch and release from the beginning of the fishing season in structured wildlife areas such as ZECs, wildlife reserves and outfitters on salmon rivers in the Gaspésie, Bas-Saint-Laurent, Capitale-Nationale, Saguenay, Anticosti, Haute-Côte-Nord and most rivers in the Moyenne-Côte-Nord, as well as on the Rivière Kegaska in the Basse-Côte-Nord region. Some retention of small salmon could be allowed on certain rivers during the season, if the abundance of their salmon populations permits.
• Retention of one small salmon per day per fisher on the Moisie, Saint-Jean and Natashquan rivers in the Moyenne-Côte-Nord region, and on Basse-Côte-Nord rivers east of the Rivière Kegaska.

OTHER MEASURES:

• Reduction in the daily quota of salmon authorized to be caught and released from three to two on the salmon rivers of the Gaspésie, Bas-Saint-Laurent, Capitale-Nationale, Saguenay, Anticosti, Haute et Moyenne-Côte-Nord regions, and introduction of a quota of three salmon on the rivers of the Basse-Côte-Nord. These measures, which were applied during the 2024 season, would thus be renewed for the 2025 season.
• Restriction of fishing measures outside structured wildlife areas to be consistent, for the same river, with those in force in such areas. With a few exceptions, salmon fishing is prohibited in rivers that do not have salmon river status, as well as in the Rivière Saguenay, the Fleuve Saint-Laurent and its estuary and gulf.
• No change in sport fishing measures for Nord-du-Québec rivers.

The Ministère is sensitive to the possible consequences of these recommendations, and to the need to sound out the stakeholders concerned. Consultations will therefore be held with wildlife partners, structured wildlife area administering organizations on salmon rivers, and Indigenous communities. If necessary, adjustments may be made to the measures presented. The measures will be released in winter 2025. No restrictions on fishing for food, ritual or social purposes are anticipated for the time being.

QUICK FACTS:

The MELCCFP’s intentions regarding sport fishing measures for the 2025 season stem from the low runs of small salmon observed in 2023, in addition to well below average runs in 2024 for both small and large salmon. Population monitoring in Québec has revealed this downward trend, and these data suggest that a cautious approach should be taken with regard to sport fishing measures for the coming season.

Over the past two years, a number of changes have been made to the sport fishing measures during the season, in response to the low runs observed. Preventive action had also been taken before the 2024 fishing season to limit the harvest of large salmon on certain rivers, since MELCCFP experts had anticipated their low abundance.

ASSOCIATED LINKS:

• Find out more about the Atlantic Salmon Management Plan 2016 and the Five-year update after the implementation of the Atlantic Salmon Management Plan 2016 (French).
• Press releases concerning the regulatory amendments applied in 2024: May 24; July 23; August 2 (in French)

SOURCE AND INFORMATION:

Media Relations
Ministère de l’Environnement,
de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs
relations.medias@environnement.gouv.qc.ca
Tel. : 418 521-3991