The following statement was read in the House of Assembly today by the Honourable Derrick Bragg, Minister of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture:
Speaker, the Wildlife Division of the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture has just wrapped up the big game licence draw for the 2022-23 season, and applicants have been eagerly checking their results online.
This year, the moose quota for Newfoundland and Labrador was set at just over 28,000 licences, with 575 caribou licences allocated for the island.
As an avid hunter myself, I know the annual release of the big game draw results is an exciting time for thousands of hunters. We received 75,261 big game applications this year. Within 24 hours of announcing the results earlier this week, we recorded more than 230,000 hits to the Wildlife Information Management System website.
This year, our department made the transition to a primarily online application system to support increased public access to Newfoundland and Labrador’s forestry and wildlife resources, while continuing to allow access for those without internet capabilities.
With more hunters in the province using online services to submit and monitor their big game applications, our staff has streamlined the management and operation of the application process to improve it for hunters and administrators alike.
Speaker, I want to thank our dedicated team of wildlife professionals for developing another comprehensive, science-based wildlife management plan, and for handling this year’s draw process with professionalism and dedication.
Although fall seems a long way off, I remind all eager hunters that most Moose Management Areas in Newfoundland and Labrador will open for the season on September 10. Successful applicants must submit their fees by June 30.
Speaker, we also remind all residents to help protect our natural resources by reporting suspected illegal activity at stoppoaching.ca or by calling 1-877-820-0999.
Congratulations to the successful applicants, and best of luck for a safe and successful hunting season.
Thank you.