Volunteer profile: Jim McCarthy

Meet Jim McCarthy, a member of our NL Advisory Committee.

McCarthy was born in Labrador but grew up for the most part in Pictou, Nova Scotia.  He has been an associate biologist with an international company based in St. Johns, Newfoundland and Labrador for the last 20 years. He completed his MSc at Memorial University in 1996 on brook trout and forest harvesting buffer sizes.

Before attending Memorial University, McCarthy was a volunteer with the USFWS for two years in Alaska where he assisted with the assessment of seabird colony success following the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

“After volunteering in Alaska, I became overly enthusiastic about salmon fishing and conservation during resource development,” he said.  “I’m currently a part-time PhD student at the Canadian Rivers Institute at UNB (Fredericton) under the supervision of Dr. Allen Curry.”

“I’m also currently the chair of the Salmonid Association of Eastern Newfoundland’s (SAEN) Project Committee and have been a member of the association for almost 20 years. I’ve called St. John’s, Newfoundland my home since 1987 and have two beautiful children (Erin and Jesse).  In addition to fly fishing, I enjoy building fly rods and swimming with the local club RockSwim.”

McCarthy joined the ASCF’s NL Advisory Committee last year but has been involved with ASCF through active funding opportunities with SAEN.

He notes he became involved with the ASCF because it offers opportunities for local community-based groups to receive funding for “hands on” applications of their conservation interests.

“That’s a very exciting prospect for many non-profit organizations and it’s something I find exciting and rewarding.”

“ASCF is a great organization that practices what it preaches. It’s a very helpful and resourceful team that helps community groups get conservation projects off the ground.  They’re keenly interested in all project types from elaborate research initiatives on conservation to local community-related education and Atlantic salmon enhancement opportunities.”

Volunteers are crucial to the work ASCF does, and each month we will introduce you to one of our stellar volunteers to say thank you for all the work they do in Atlantic salmon conservation.