SSC Responsible Fishing For Youth Contest

1st Place - 8 & Under Division Name: Simone-Annette Kitchen Age: 6 School: Home Schooled
2nd Place - 8 & Under Division Name: Luc Johnstone Age: 8 School: Home Schooled	(Picture not available)
3rd Place - 8 & Under Division Name: Cameron Champagne Age: 5 School: J.V. Clarke School

To help protect salmon, don't take logs out of the stream. They give shade, shelter and bugs to salmon.

1st Place - 12 & Under Division

Name: Jeremiah Kitchen
Age: 12
School: Home Schooled

To me responsible salmon fishing is being aware of salmon return counts in progress if you're going to fish in both the Yukon and Alaska. The reason you must be aware is because if you fish at a slow rate it gives the Salmon a chance to reproduce more fish than we take. When the salmon population is low I voluntarily choose not to fish salmon at certain times. I do this because it shows respect for the Salmon as a valuable food source. Another important thing we do to help the salmon is protect the migration route of the salmon back to their spawning beds. This is important in order for them to get there. This protection can happen by being aware of high use areas and avoiding the over use of motorized boats and fishing. Even though the salmon are protected from fishing in certain areas along their route back to their spawning beds it is still important to watch that people are aware that they should not be fished.

By keeping rivers clean and free of pollution and debris/garbage we can give the salmon a better chance.

Responsible fishing includes knowing about the salmon life cycle, respecting it as an important food and using barbless hooks in the catch and release method.

The salmon have been an important part of our heritage also, the first nations use fish for a living and it is also important to reserve some places for the natives to spear fish. Some times I wonder if it is right to sport fish or if we should just be fishing for food. That is something I am still trying to work out as a good person who respects the animals and what they give us.

2nd Place - 12 & Under Division

Name: Ben Steinberg
Age: 12
School: Sunrise Christian Centre

Responsible fishing is eating what you catch. If you are not going to eat the fish, take a pair of pliers and bend the barb on the hook so it does not stick out and hook the fish tightly. Once you catch a fish, take the hook out carefully and place it in the water then let it go, if you are not going to eat it. You should always respect the wild life by, for example, checking where you are fishing so you don't disturb the surrounding wild life. You should also respect the habitat by not polluting the water, leaving the area the way you found it, and respecting other fishermen. You should also be responsible by buying a license when you are old enough. My Uncle taught me how to do the things I listed above, and we only take the fish home if my mom wants some for dinner.

1st Place - 18 & Under Division

Name: Yule Schmidt
Age: 13

If someone were to take a world survey on what responsible salmon fishing meant to people, they would come up with an abundance of different answers. Everyone has a different opinion, and they are obliged to believe that theirs is the best one, or the most sensible choice. There is really no right answer, only ideas. People might not agree with my idea and I accept that. But it would be greatly appreciated if people would listen.

Salmon are a very important part of the Yukon's heritage and, hopefully, future. We want our children to be able to enjoy as much as we do, both in rivers and on their dinner plate. It would be appalling to watch the salmon population disintegrate before our eyes when we can still do something about it. We have to act now while there is still time.

To be a responsible salmon fisher you have to respect the salmon. You have to know if you are fishing in a high or low populated area. You have to know if the fish are spawning or not. You should also know the difference between male and female. It is often better to catch males, as females are egg carriers. You may not know if the female you just caught is carrying thousands of little ones inside her belly.

A good way to practice responsible salmon fishing is not to overdo sport fishing. This is my own way of practicing responsible fishing. I realize that this is a very hard thing to ask. Who can resist a river full of large pink salmon. I myself have gone sport fishing in Haines often enough. Probably everyone has. But then I asked myself: how would people like it if a big sockeye salmon dangled some pizza in front of your nose and stuck a barbed hook in your cheek when you grabbed it, all for the fun of it? I for one would find it to be atrociously painful (people shouldn't overdo it).

One important matter I would like to mention is this: waste not want not. I know every single essay in this contest is going to say that exact thing, but it is a big issue. First of all, don't throw away an entire fish. If you had a fishing contest and you caught so many fish you don't know what to do with them, don't throw them away. Give them away, hold a fish party, do whatever. Just don't chuck them.

People have to remember that fish are alive. They have feelings. One thing to think about is that when you're fishing for fun, with no intention of keeping the fish, don't use a barbed hook. It wouldn't be very fun to be straggling around in a place you can't breathe with someone vainly trying to pull something out of your neck with not too much success.

I know that it would be pointless to tell everyone to stop fishing salmon. I don't even want people to stop fishing salmon. I just want them to realize what a salmon means for the Yukon, themselves, and others. I want people to think about salmon as another living thing, not a sport. If people want a sport they should try soccer. I want people to realize that salmon are beautiful and majestic, and are not here for slaughter. No. That is not their reason for existence. They are here to shape our culture, and provide us with food when we are in need. We need to recognize them for their contribution to our rivers, heritage, and, of course, our menus. Thank you salmon, even though you can't hear me.

Name: Michael Khan
Age: 16