Archived – Canada’s Recreational Fisheries Awards Summary of Achievements of 2010 Recipients

June, 2010

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Keith Piercey (Newfoundland and Labrador)

Keith Piercey has been involved in salmon conservation for over 30 years.  He has been an active member of the Salmon Preservation Association for the Waters of Newfoundland (SPAWN) and has worked on several committees promoting conservation of wild Atlantic salmon, habitat improvement, release angling and public education.  He served as project manager for SPAWN’s Fisheries River Guardian program, hiring, training and overseeing the field activities of many guardians.  He was also President of the Salmonid Council of Newfoundland and Labrador for four years and represented the Council at many meetings and community events.  Keith continues to be a very active volunteer with Fish Friends and annually visits many schools to educate children of the need to conserve our wild Atlantic salmon and trout.

J. Robert Chiasson (New Brunswick)

For over 30 years, J. Robert Chiasson has made innumerable contributions to the health and well-being of Atlantic salmon and Brook trout in New Brunswick, all on a volunteer basis, the most recent being the stabilization of operations at the Charlo Salmonid Enhancement Centre.  It was his idea to form the Nepisiguit Salmon Association and his active involvement that led to the successful Atlantic Salmon Enhancement Project, which has become a model for similar projects.  In the past 10 years, Robert has played a major role in keeping the Charlo enhancement facility operational, raising funds and promoting public awareness and cooperation amongst diverse groups.  The Charlo facility is considered essential to the continued good health of the Atlantic salmon resource in northeastern New Brunswick, including the Restigouche River system.

John Kendell (Ontario)

In 1993, John Kendell took over and refocused the Credit River Anglers Association, which draws anglers from the all over the Greater Toronto Area.  He expanded the Association’s mandate to include the entire watershed, which vastly increased the potential to improve the fishery and habitat quality and increased the membership from 30 to 4,000 members.  John has worked hard to raise funds and educate the public about the Credit River.  During his 17-year tenure with the Association, over $3.5 million has been raised for stream rehabilitation work.  John actively supports the annual youth fishing day, which gives children in an urban setting the chance to enjoy the sport of angling.  Most recently, the CRAA has been a major proponent of the reintroduction of Atlantic salmon into the Credit River watershed.  CRAA members, including John, manage a fishway on a daily basis during the summer to transfer returning salmon into the best habitat available on the watershed. 
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Dave Clough (British Columbia)

Dave Clough has made a considerable contribution to recreational fishing on Vancouver Island, by working with and supporting hundreds of Salmon Enhancement Program (SEP) volunteers for over 30 years with his technical expertise, leadership, passion and compassion.  He has helped build capacity and credibility within the SEP stewardship community, leading to more than $1 million worth of salmon habitat and public education programs.  Dave was instrumental in the formation of the Tofino Streamkeepers Association and is a skilled and inspiring streamkeeper trainer with a unique way of bringing complicated scientific information to the people who want to make a difference to fish in the wild.  Dave makes a significant difference by modelling an enthusiastic “can do” attitude, making it fun, and getting projects done, which results in salmon in the stream and positive changes in people’s behaviours and values. 

Gerald Kristianson (British Columbia)

Gerald Kristianson had made an outstanding contribution to the interests of recreational fishing on the Pacific coast.  He has demonstrated his leadership abilities over many years of involvement in the Sport Fishing Advisory Board, of which he is currently the Chair, as well as being a Salmon Commissioner for Canada and a member of numerous working groups related to the recreational fishery in BC.  He shows strong negotiation skills while tackling many complex issues in multi-stakeholder fora.  Notably, Gerald has been instrumental in work done on the Allocation Policies for Pacific salmon and for Pacific halibut, the Pacific Salmon Treaty negotiations and the Vision for Recreational Fisheries in BC.  He exhibits a strong passion for the resource and is a strong voice for maintaining the public’s access to the resource.

News Release:

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada Congratulates 2010 Recreational Fishing Award Recipients

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