With fishing season beginning today (Tues) in the south, the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation is concerned that fewer and fewer people are paying for fishing licenses in the province.

Darrell Crabbe, Executive Director of the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation, says fishery initiatives are paid for by licensed anglers in the province and those numbers are diminishing. He says seniors and veterans currently don’t require a license and the Metis Federation is in negotiations to not require license as well. Crabbe explains that approximately only 62% of recreational anglers are licensed which is problematic not only for funding but also when trying to manage resources. He says one of the key variables is to survey how many people are using the resource, and with no way to track nearly 40,000 fishers, those numbers are troublesome.

The Executive Director suggests solutions, while not popular, could come from introducing discounted licensing, for those who don’t currently pay, or government funding compensating the lost income. Crabbe says Saskatchewan has one of the highest levels of recreational angling in North America, with over 25% of the population fishing at least once a year.

Fishing season in the Central Zone begins on May 15th while fishing in the North begins on the 25th.