Peter Cronin of Douglas, N.B., Fisheries Manager at the Department of Natural Resources and ardent conservationist, is the 2008 recipient of the Lieutenant Governor's Award for Wild Atlantic Salmon Conservation, presented annually by the New Brunswick Salmon Council (NBSC). Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick and Honourary Patron of the NBSC Herménégilde Chiasson announced the recipient and presented the award during a reception at Old Government House in Fredericton on Friday, Nov. 28. He said, "It is an honour and a delight to recognize the life-long work of Peter Cronin — someone so dedicated to protecting and better managing our environment, and to helping others to do the same. I admire his patience, courage and generosity."
Cronin responded to those in attendance, "Governments cannot and should not manage the natural resources of the province in isolation of its citizens. We must work with federal and provincial departments, First Nation communities, non-governmental organizations, individuals and the private sector to adopt a common philosophy and approach to the conservation of our fish, their habitats and their use. I would like to personally thank and congratulate all the volunteers in New Brunswick that are working towards the sustainability of the Atlantic salmon resource." Cronin suggested that people from across the province must "join in the work of rebuilding our stocks — fish by fish, river by river, and watershed by watershed. The approach we use to make these improvements must be reasonable, sensible and responsible."
Tom Benjamin, President of the NBSC, said, "I'm thrilled to be part of the presentation of this award to an individual who has made such major contributions to the conservation of wild Atlantic salmon. Peter has played a significant role in salmon conservation, ranging from his involvement in community groups to international organizations such as the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization in which he serves as a provincial representative. He is a true steward of wild Atlantic salmon and their environment."
During his career, Cronin has been a strong advocate of community-based watershed management and has been extremely active and instrumental in the formation of many of these groups in New Brunswick. He sits as a member of several such organizations in the province (including the Miramichi Watershed Management Committee and the Restigouche River Watershed Management Council) operating under Memorandums of Understanding with various sectors and levels of governments. He serves as the New Brunswick Representative on the Central Advisory Committee of the Atlantic Salmon Conservation Foundation. Bill Taylor, President and CEO of the Atlantic Salmon Federation, added that "Peter has done much for the conservation, restoration and wise management of wild Atlantic salmon in our province and is a most deserving recipient of this prestigious award."
The Lieutenant Governor's Award is hand-carved from a piece of New Brunswick black cherry by local artist Bill Page, and has been on permanent display at Old Government House since it was first awarded in 2000. The New Brunswick Salmon Council (NBSC) is the Regional Council of the Atlantic Salmon Federation and is headquartered in Fredericton, New Brunswick. NBSC is dedicated to the wise management and conservation of the wild Atlantic salmon in New Brunswick.
