Our Board met on February 24, 2017 at the New Horizon’s club in East Margaree. The primary reason for the meeting was to determine the direction of fund raising for 2017. After much discussion, it was determined that plans for a 2017 dinner/auction will be postponed to a future date. Plans to attend the Sydney Mines Sportsman show were also shelved as the costs associated with attending drastically reduced the profit gained. The decision to attend any of the sportsman’s shows will be discussed in conjunction with overall fund raising plans throughout the coming year. We, again, thank our fund raising chair, Lowell Weir, for his efforts in attaining funding from one of the major banks this year and for his on-going energy with respect to getting other corporate donors aboard.
An update on a meeting between WSU and MSA executives was presented. There appeared to be little value in sharing booth space with one another at shows as it was felt it would confuse the public. However, should each organization have a separate booth at shows it was agreed that we would share one another’s literature. WSU suggested and the MSA executive agreed to investigate the feasibility of having some DNA testing done on Margaree fish to determine whether there was evidence of the Rocky Brook strain still present. The MSA executive suggested WSU become involved in funding a project on the Gallant’s brook. WSU’s response was that, at present, our funding for the foreseeable future, was committed to those rivers where we are currently involved and to a new proposal being developed. In the end both executives agreed to keep one another abreast of our endeavours and cooporate wherever possible.
At present a committee of the BOD is working on a major proposal to introduce juvenile Atlantic salmon to one or more rivers that flow into the Gulf of St. Lawrence. We will keep everyone up-to-date through the website.