Blue Fish News and the Fish Health Report
Last week Blue Fish Canada reported on 2019 Program Highlights geared to recreational anglers seeking to enhance their stewardship and citizen science skills. Today we want to draw your attention to our recently published Report: Fish Health in the Great Lakes and Upper St. Lawrence River.
The goal of the Report is to promote fish health research, increase angler involvement, and inform policy and programs essential to ensuring the future of fish and fishing.
Water quality issues are numerous, but understanding how these issues impact fish health and the people and communities who have a vested interest in fish, are often over-looked. Blue Fish Canada will work to ensure the 17 recommendations contained within the Fish Health report are implemented. But, we can’t do it without you. It takes a community of anglers to ensure the future of fish health and the communities whose socio-economic sustainability depend on healthy fish stocks.
Although Blue Fish Canada programs rely 100% on volunteers, there are still costs associated with delivering important initiatives such as representing the concerns and views of recreational anglers and their communities. Over 17-million Canadians have tried fishing, support recreational fishing, and have plans to go fishing again. Help Blue Fish Canada raise the status of fish health to maintain this important connection with nature through the stewardship and sustainability of wild fish.
Healthy fish stocks and our connection to nature are intrinsically linked. A path forward to connect fish health stakeholders is clearly articulated in the Fish Health Report, but implementing the Report’s 17 recommendations takes resources. This is your chance to pay it forward so Blue Fish Canada can begin implementing the recommendations needed to build a Fish Health Network.
The Fish Health Report represents the views of scientists, fishers, government, conservationists and business. While the focus of the Report is the Great Lakes Basin and Upper St. Lawrence River, the Report’s methodology sets out a framework that will be replicated as we engage stakeholders across Canada.
The time to dream and plan is now over. The path forward is well defined and includes broad stakeholder engagement. It’s time to take action and begin implementing the recommendations of the Fish Health Report.
Please lend your support by getting involved or by making a tax deductible donation as we launch this next phase of stakeholder engagement with the goal of ensuring fish health and the future of fishing. Don’t forget to sign up for our Blue Fish News Letter.
Lawrence Gunther Euteneier M.E.S. M.S.M.
President / Blue Fish Canada