Atlantic salmon conservation and sport fishing enhancement plan for the Laval River

Description: Following the development of a Laval River Atlantic salmon conservation plan, the most recent studies on the river which were completed in 2018 and 2019 will be updated (Organisme de bassins versants de la Haute-Côte-Nord). The fishing conservation and promotion plan is a short and medium-term decision-making tool for our organization. Actions to be taken will be prioritized. The project is needed to establish management directions and create sustainable development tools for fishing on our territory. Since the 2018 and 2019 studies provided important information on salmon distribution areas and made it possible to target new tributaries used by juveniles using electric fishing, we believe it is necessary to return and validate that information 5 years later, which is a life cycle of the species, to make sure those tributaries still provide good quality habitats.  The conservation plan will be distributed on paper and on the Web to various partners and all our data will be shared with FQSA and the regional OBV, namely OBVHCN, which is a direct partner in the completion of the project. This project will include a complete section on the present management activities on the river and on potential avenues to increase the attractivity of recreational fishing on the river. We believe the increased number of fishers on the river will lead to a better understanding of the Atlantic salmon population and the areas used, and to a better protection.