Recreational fishing in northern Saskatchewan not only provides those of us living in the North with a great deal of family fun, it is also a valuable source of tourism.
In 2010, anglers generated $8.3 billion for local economies. Canadian non-resident and foreign anglers made over two million trips within Canada in 2010.
A survey conducted in 2010 found that over 3.3 million anglers participated in fishing activities, a number that was very similar to the survey results shown in 2005.
Fishing is an activity that is passed down from generation to generation, often with multiple generations involved at once, in family fishing trips, and angling is a vital part of the tourism draw for our Northern lake and river resorts.
It is important that we are vigilant in the maintenance of our recreational fishing spots to ensure the future health of these fish habitats.
Our government is making $10 million available over the next two years to support conservation activities relating to sport fishing. This funding will be made available to local groups seeking to undertake projects designed to restore recreational fishing habitats.
Groups wishing to apply will need to do so by December 18th, 2013.
Interested groups should visit www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/ habitat/rfcpp-ppcpr/ index-eng.asp for more information.
