Kids Fish Art Contest Open Across Province

The Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture hopes sportfishing catches on with young artists and they are inspired to participate in the first Nova Scotia Fish Art Contest.

The Kids Fish Art Contest is open to Grade 1 though 12 students in Nova Scotia. Participants have until Dec. 18 to submit original, hand-done artistic creations of Nova Scotia's official provincial fish, the speckled trout.

The Kids Fish Art contest is part of a provincial program called Learn to Fish (L2F) to encourage young people to get involved in angling.

"Angling is a great way to enjoy our province's lakes and rivers, and we want it to become a family activity by helping to get people interested at a young age," said Sterling Belliveau, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

The winning art will appear on the sportfishing website as well as in next year's Angler's Handbook, which accompanies each fishing licence. About 70,000 are distributed across the province. The four winners -- one each from grade groups 1-3, 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12, will also take home a fishing rod, tackle and trophy.

More than 100,000 anglers enjoy fishing throughout the year, participating in free fishing weekends and other activities such as fishing derbies, the Learn to Fish programs, Families United With Nature and Becoming An Outdoors Woman.

The contest entry form, as well as additional details about the contest, can be found on the Fisheries and Aquaculture website at www.gov.ns.ca/fish/sportfishing .