Saturday, September 19, marked as National Hunting, Trapping and Fishing Heritage Day, was created to respect and recognize hunting, trapping, and fishing as part of Canada’s national heritage.
With over two million lakes and rivers, 30 per cent of the world’s forest, and a vast terrain, Canada is home to a variety of opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts. Fishing, hunting, and trapping are an important part of Canadian heritage, culture, and tradition. They continue to be popular activities across the nation with over 1,3 million hunters (Conference Board of Canada, 2018).
Canada’s hunters, trappers and fishers have made a significant contribution to the development of our nation by traversing and mapping the prairies, forests, streams, and rivers from coast to coast to coast. Further, these people could be identified as the first “conservationists” as many of their livelihoods depended on strong ecosystems and a healthy biodiversity. Being so close to the land would make changes in the number of fish and wildlife apparent.
Hunting, trapping and fishing play an important role in Canada’s economy. The Conference Board of Canada’s report, The Economic Footprint of Angling, Hunting, Trapping and Sport Shooting in Canada, shared that on a national scale, the total economic footprint of fishing, hunting, trapping, and sport shooting was $13.2 billion in 2018. This represents a substantial 0.6 per cent of national gross domestic product (GDP). The economic activity generated by these activities supported just under 107,000 jobs and generated $6.4 billion in labour income. There were also notable fiscal benefits—in 2018, the four activities together generated $6.1 billion in federal and provincial government revenues. Read the full report here.
The BCWF advocates for hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts. As a non-for-profit organization, the BCWF’s conservation work to protect, enhance and promote the wise use of our environment on behalf of all British Columbians depends on contributions from our supporters. If you would like to support our work, donate now.
The B.C. Wildlife Federation is proud of its heritage and acknowledges the conservation efforts of those who hunt, fish, and trap.