The Honourable Gerry Byrne, Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources, announced today the merger of Conservation Officers within the Department of Fisheries and Land Resources to establish a new division for Resource Enforcement. This change in staffing model will increase the number of Conservation Officers available to address fish and wildlife enforcement issues.
The department is undertaking a restructuring of enforcement personnel that will combine officers from the department’s Forestry Division and Fish and Wildlife Division into one integrated resource enforcement team under the newly formed Newfoundland and Labrador Resource Enforcement Division
This new structure will be implemented in two phases, starting with Labrador in May at which time the number of resource enforcement positions in the region will increase from 12 to 16 with seven officers responsible for Western Labrador and the remaining officers responsible for Central Labrador and communities on the North and South coasts. Conservation Officers in Newfoundland will then merge under the new division.
This restructuring process brings very near to conclusion the work of staff that began when the Department of Fisheries and Land Resources was created in February 2017 to create a dedicated division that consolidates and better utilizes enforcement resources. These changes will not result in any loss of frontline enforcement positions.
Once completed there will be a contingent of 90 highly skilled cross-trained conservation officers stationed throughout the province with authority to enforce a broader range of provincial inland fish, forestry and wildlife regulations.
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“Consolidation of officers into one division allows for sharing of related skill-sets, experience and expertise and will lead to enhanced enforcement services in support of the protection of our wildlife, inland fish and forestry resources. Given the unique challenges facing sensitive wildlife in the region, Labrador is the appropriate location to unveil the department’s new enforcement structure.”
Honourable Gerry Byrne
Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources
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