Operation Safe Start Has Begun

Summer is beckoning and conservation officers from the Department of Natural Resources want to make it a safe one for Nova Scotians.

Provincial conservation officers are teaming with their federal counterparts at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans for Operation Safe Start 2010, a series of initiatives to increase awareness and ensure compliance of laws among people who use the province's natural resources for recreation.

"We want to protect Nova Scotia's natural beauty and ensure people enjoy it responsibly," said John MacDonell, Minister of Natural Resources. "It is our hope that Operation Safe Start 2010 makes safety and conservation top of mind for Nova Scotians as we begin to enjoy fishing, boating and other outdoor recreational activities."

The provincewide program, which runs this month, was recently launched in East Dalhousie, where Lunenburg, Kings and Annapolis counties meet. Targeting remote lakes, officers checked for fishing licences, bag limits, life jackets and other boating-safety equipment, and addressed Off-Highway Vehicle infractions.

The Department of Natural Resources would like to remind anglers that a licence is required for most inland sport fish. For more information, call a local Natural Resources office or visit www.gov.ns.ca/fish/sportfishing/angling/2010angregs.shtml .

Violations can be reported to the Department of Natural Resources at 1-800-565-2224.