Conservation of B.C.’s freshwater fisheries will get a boost through an increase in angling fees for the 2023-24 season.
The B.C. Wildlife Federation has been asking for an increase in fees for more than ten years, in order to boost the flow of cash to support wildlife. All the revenue collected goes to programs run by the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC and the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation. Both organizations work to support the management of fisheries, habitats and angler opportunities within the province.
About $13 million in freshwater license fees are directed to conservation in B.C. each year. BCWF members are delighted to see that figure increase by nearly ten per cent right away.
“The BCWF is excited to see the benefits of this fee increase to angling opportunities and fisheries conservation in British Columbia,” said BCWF Executive Director Jesse Zeman. “We have worked hard for the past decade with our partners at the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC and other organizations to increase fishing opportunities and investments in fish conservation. Our membership has been very clear over the years that they are willing to pay more for licenses if fees are dedicated to conservation. Hunters and anglers have historically been the first to step up to fund conservation; this is yet another example.”
Angling licenses will increase 9.9 per cent for the 2023-24 license year and an additional 4 per cent for the 2024-25 license year. The basic angling license for adults will increase from $36 per year to $39.56 per year later in 2023 and then to $41.15 in 2024.
These increases will direct additional funding to the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC and the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, helping them continue to deliver the conservation services and provide angling opportunities across the province.
The Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC is a non-profit organization. Working in partnership with government, industry and anglers, the society’s goal is to make fishing in B.C. better through the enhancement and conservation of B.C.’s freshwater fish resources. The society delivers the provincial stocking program, which stocks more than 5.4 million fish into 641 lakes annually.
The Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation is a non-profit charity that invests in B.C.’s fish and wildlife, and the habitats in which they live. They fund a large network of recipients that undertake conservation projects and an education program that seeks to inspire learning and connection with B.C.’s fish, wildlife and habitat.