Survey Overview
The 2010 Survey of Recreational Fishing in Canada was the 8th cycle of the survey which began in 1975 and is conducted every five years. The survey's target population covered all individuals identified in the 2010 provincial and territorial recreational fishing licence databases. Footnote 1 In 2010, the questionnaires were mailed out to almost 102,000 households within Canada and in other countries to obtain information on recreational fishing activities (Table 2.1).
The sample design was based on the licensing databases in each jurisdiction. Samples were selected using stratified, systematic random sampling with stratification based on licence category and, in some jurisdictions, region of licence sale. Sample sizes were determined from the reliability estimates for days fished for each stratum, as calculated from the results of the 2005 Survey of Recreational Fishing in Canada. In Ontario, the province chose to increase their sample sizes to increase the reliability of geographically based estimates for effort and harvest. The survey in the Northwest Territories was conducted by DFO headquarters using samples provided by the jurisdiction.
| Jurisdiction | Resident | Non-resident | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 1,358 | 1,373 | 2,731 |
| Prince Edward Island | 2,200 | 587 | 2,787 |
| Nova Scotia | 877 | 305 | 1,182 |
| New Brunswick | 3,500 | 1,000 | 4,500 |
| Quebec2 | 13,300 | 0 | 13,300 |
| Ontario | 17,000 | 13,680 | 30,680 |
| Manitoba | 2,800 | 1,602 | 4,402 |
| Saskatchewan | 4,101 | 2,799 | 6,900 |
| Alberta | 5,000 | 800 | 5,800 |
| British Columbia Freshwater | 10,100 | 3,000 | 13,100 |
| British Columbia Tidal Waters | 9,000 | 3,000 | 12,000 |
| Yukon | 1,000 | 700 | 1,700 |
| Northwest Territories | 900 | 900 | 1,800 |
| Nunavut | 407 | 621 | 1,028 |
| Canada | 71,543 | 30,367 | 101,910 |
Notes:
1. The number of non-resident anglers in this table includes both Canadian non-residents and foreign anglers.
Refer to Section 3 for a list of concepts, terms and definitions used in the report.
2. Due to limitations in the licensing database, non-resident anglers in Quebec were not covered in the 2010 Survey of Recreational Fishing in Canada. Refer to Section 5.1.3 for details.
Source: DFO, Economic Analysis and Statistics.
The 2010 survey collected information on:
- angler profile (age, sex, residence, etc.)
- recreational fishing activity
- fishing effort by regions; Footnote 2
- number of fish caught and retained;
- harvest by species and by fisheries management and/or economic region;
- trip information; and
- catch and release activities
- expenditures
- major purchases or investments attributable to fishing activities;
- package deals purchased; and
- direct expenditures related to recreational fishing trip activities.
Each province/territory also asked supplementary questions on recreational fishing activities and programs in their respective jurisdictions. The supplementary questions for the Northwest Territories were formulated by staff from DFO's Central and Arctic region in Winnipeg. All publishable results pertaining to these questions, are on Annex C. Section 5 provides a more detailed description of the survey methodology as well as indicators of data quality and statistical reliability of key variables.
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