Survey Results

4.1 Angler Profile

In 2010, almost 3.3 million adult anglers participated in a variety of recreational fishing activities in Canada (Annex A.2). ^{Footnote 6} This was marginally higher than the 3.2 million in 2005 (Figure 4.1). Between 2005 and 2010, the numbers of active adult angler numbers have remained steady after years of decline.

The majority of active anglers in 2010 were residents fishing within their home province or territory (over 2.7 million). The remaining active adult angler population consisted of just over 147,000 Canadian non-residents (those fishing outside their home province or territory) and visitors to Canada (approximately 406,000). Canadian and visiting angler numbers dropped from 2005 by 2% and 35%, respectively.

Figure 4.1 Total Active Adult Anglers, All Angler Categories, Canada, 2000, 2005, 2010¹

Note:
1. The 2000 estimates have been adjusted to exclude the total number of active non-resident anglers in Quebec. The adjustment was done in order to allow comparison with the 2010 estimate.
Source: DFO, Economic Analysis and Statistics.

4.1.1 Resident Anglers

Resident anglers were mainly concentrated in Ontario and Quebec (Annex A.3). Given their large population base, this was not surprising and it has been a consistent trend since 1995. In 2010, resident anglers from these two provinces accounted for 60% of all active resident anglers in Canada. In terms of actual numbers, 2010 saw more active resident anglers in both provinces compared to 2005 (Table 4.1). Most jurisdictions experienced an increase in active resident anglers, with only Newfoundland and Labrador and Nunavut seeing major declines of 46% and 29%, respectively. Although the level of activity of resident anglers in Newfoundland and Labrador in 2005 may have been inordinately high, the active angler estimate for 2010 is the lowest estimate since pre-screening of households began in 1985.

In general, resident angler participation rates showed a upward trend in most provinces and territories since 2005 (Table 4.2). Resident angler participation rates have consistently been the highest in Newfoundland and Labrador and Yukon. Yukon saw an increase in resident participation in 2010 and, even though the rate dropped substantially in Newfoundland and Labrador in 2010, it was still second highest.

Source: DFO, Economic Analysis and Statistics.

4.1.2 Canadian Non-resident and Foreign Anglers

The non-resident angler category is made up of Canadians who fished in jurisdictions outside their home province or territory; and foreign anglers visiting Canada. In total, there were almost 554,000 anglers in these two non-resident angler categories (Table 4.3).

Just over a quarter of non-resident anglers were Canadians who fished outside their own province/territory. The remainder were foreign anglers, primarily from the United States, part of the millions of travellers who entered Canada in 2010. The overall trend shows an average annual decrease of 9% in the total non-resident angler population during last five years, more than double the average annual decline experienced between 2000 and 2005.

Note:
1. Participation rate is defined as the resident anglers' share of total population in the province or territory.
Source: DFO, Economic Analysis and Statistics.

Source: DFO, Economic Analysis and Statistics.

4.1.3 Gender Profile

Male anglers made up 73% of resident adult anglers, 83% of Canadian non-resident anglers and 88% of all other non-resident anglers. These distributions have seen very little change throughout the years (Figure 4.2).

Figure 4.3 illustrates the average age of male and female active anglers. In 2010, the average male angler was 51 years old whereas female anglers were generally 47 years old, compared with 46 and 43 years, respectively, ten years ago. ^{Footnote 7} Non-resident anglers from outside Canada were noticeably older than either resident or Canadian non-resident anglers, with males averaging 56 years and females 54 years of age.

Figure 4.2 Distribution of Active Anglers by Angler Category and Gender, Canada, 2010

Source: DFO, Economic Analysis and Statistics.

Figure 4.3 Average Age of Active Anglers, by Angler Category and Gender, Canada, 2010

Source: DFO, Economic Analysis and Statistics.

4.1.4 Age Profile

Analysis of the age distribution reveals the aging population of active anglers in Canada. This is confirmed further by comparing the 2010 Canadian angler age profile with that of the general population (Figure 4.4). In 2010, for example, 55% of Canadian anglers were in the 45-64 age group, whereas only 28% of Canadians, in general, fell within the same age range. The relative percentage of Canadian anglers 65 years of age and over almost doubled in 2010 compared to 2005, increasing from 6% to 11% of the angling community. The overall population increased by just 1% since 2005.

Figure 4.4 Age Group Distribution, Canadian Active Anglers and General Population, Selected Age Groups (share of total), 2010¹

Note:
1. The age-group distribution of Canadian active anglers in this chart is based on the
combined totals for resident anglers and Canadian non-resident anglers.
Source: DFO, Economic Analysis and Statistics.

4.2 Fishing Effort

4.2.1 Days Fished

Given its direct correlation with the number of active anglers, the total number of days spent fishing had been in decline since the mid-1990s, however, in 2010, anglers fished a total of 43 million days in Canada, which was just marginally higher than in 2005. Of the fishing effort expended in 2010, over 39 million days (91%) were fished by resident anglers (Annex A.5).

The average number of days fished per angler has remained relatively unchanged since 1995 (13 days). ^{Footnote 8} This suggests that although the number of people involved in a recreational fishing activity is significantly lower than in earlier years, the people who remain active in recreational fishing appear to be applying the same average amount of effort.

Canadian anglers fishing within their home jurisdictions accounted for about 39.5 million days fished in 2010. Only 2% of total fishing effort (just over a million days) could be attributed to Canadians fishing in other jurisdictions, while foreign anglers accounted for the remaining 6.5% (2.8 million days) in 2010. In terms of the average days fished for each angler category, resident anglers fished an average of 14.4 days, while the non-resident Canadian and foreign anglers groups averaged about 7 days each.

4.2.2 Non-resident Trip Characteristics

The survey gathered general information on the overall tourism activities of non-resident anglers. It asked visiting Canadian anglers about their number of trips to other Canadian provinces/territories and it asked foreign anglers about their total number of trips to Canada in 2010 (for any reason). Another question obtained further information on how many of these trips were specifically for recreational fishing. As a whole, non-resident anglers made over 2 million trips within Canada in 2010 and just over half of their trips (51%) were for fishing (Annex A.6). ^{Footnote 9}

Canadian non-resident anglers fished on 31% of their trips to jurisdictions other than their own province/territory. Foreign anglers fished on 79% of their trips to Canada in 2010. ^{Footnote 10}

For Canadian non-resident anglers, 89% of their trips to the Northwest Territories were made for fishing purposes, while 87% of trips to the Yukon were for fishing. Canadian anglers visiting Newfoundland and Labrador fished on 71% of the trips they made to that province.

Ontario continued to be the destination of choice for the majority of foreign anglers, accounting for 76% of all foreign anglers in 2010. British Columbia was the destination of choice for almost 14% of foreign anglers, followed by Manitoba and Saskatchewan, with 17,630 and 10,803 active foreign anglers, respectively. ^{Footnote 11}

4.3 Harvest

4.3.1 Fish Caught and Retained

Anglers caught over 193 million fish of all species and retained nearly 63 million (Annex A.7a, Annex A.7b). Resident anglers in all provinces and territories caught 153 million of this total harvest, retaining just 37% of their catch. Foreign anglers caught over 35 million (18%) while Canadian non-resident anglers caught a relatively small proportion of the total fish harvest (almost 5 million) in 2010 (Figure 4.5 and Annex A.7a). Non-resident foreign anglers kept just 15% of all fish they caught in 2010 (Annex A.7b).

On average, each resident angler kept 21 fish in 2010. Every Canadian non-resident angler kept an average of six fish, while foreign anglers retained an average of 13 fish of various species.

Figure 4.5 Total Fish Harvest, All Species, by Angler Category, Canada, 2010

Source: DFO, Economic Analysis and Statistics.

More than half of all reported 2010 fish harvests were caught in Ontario (96 million), followed by Quebec and four Western provinces (Figure 4.6). Newfoundland and Labrador saw the highest drop in number of fish caught, reflecting the fall in the number of anglers fishing in the province since 2005. The number of fish caught in Manitoba fell by 25%, while in Ontario catch decreased by almost 17%.

Figure 4.6 Total Fish Harvest by All Anglers, All Species, Selected Provinces, 2010¹

Note:
1. The estimate for British Columbia includes total fish harvests in both fresh water and tidal waters. The Quebec estimate pertains to total fish harvested by resident anglers only.
Source: DFO, Economic Analysis and Statistics.

In terms of fish retained, however, the overall proportion of fish retained by anglers in Ontario was only 21%, compared to 62% for anglers in Quebec (Figure 4.7). Anglers who fished in Newfoundland and Labrador waters retained over three-quarters of their catch in 2010. Anglers who fished in freshwater west of Ontario released over 78% of their catch, whereas anglers fishing in Quebec and the eastern provinces released only 41% of their catch.

Figure 4.7 Fish Retained, Share of Total Harvest, All Species,
Selected Provinces, 2010¹

Note:
1. The estimate for British Columbia includes total fish harvests in both fresh water and tidal waters. The Quebec estimate pertains to total fish harvested by resident anglers only.
Source: DFO, Economic Analysis and Statistics.

4.3.2 Species Profile

The top five species caught by anglers accounted for 83% of total fish harvest in 2010 (Figure 4.8). Walleye was the most predominant species caught nationally, followed by trout species. As in 2005, walleye ranked first in 2010, representing 23% of the total catch, followed by trout, perch, bass and northern pike.

Figure 4.8 Total Fish Harvest, Selected Species, Canada, 2010

Source: DFO, Economic Analysis and Statistics.

Walleye was the top species caught in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta (Table 4.4). Walleye caught in Ontario accounted for over 54% of the walleye harvest by all anglers in 2010.

Trout continued to be the most predominant species harvested by resident anglers (Figure 4.9). Brook trout, in particular, was the main species in all the eastern provinces as well as Quebec. Lake trout, Arctic grayling and northern pike dominated the species caught in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon in 2010. It is interesting, and yet quite reasonable, to note that although foreign anglers had the higher catch total for the three territories, resident anglers kept the greater proportion of fish. Resident anglers kept over 21% of the fish they caught while non-resident anglers kept only 8% of their catch.

Source: DFO, Economic Analysis and Statistics.

Figure 4.9 Total Fish Harvested by Resident and Non-resident Anglers,
Top Species Caught, Canada, 2010

Source: DFO, Economic Analysis and Statistics.

Despite the popularity of certain freshwater species in 2010, all anglers generally kept higher proportions of saltwater fish such as smelt and mackerel (69%) than freshwater species such as trout, perch and salmon (28%). Of the more common species, northern pike, smallmouth bass and largemouth bass were returned to the water most often. It is also worth noting that cod retention rate in Newfoundland and Labrador, was essentially 100% in 2010, reflecting the mandatory retention regulations for this species in the province.

4.4 Direct Recreational Fishing Expenditures

4.4.1 Total Direct Expenditures

All anglers spent just over $2.5 billion in direct recreational fishing expenditures in 2010 (Annex A.9). In current dollar terms, this total has been increasing marginally throughout the years (Table 4.5). However, the inflation-adjusted estimates show that total direct recreational fishing expenditures decreased at an average annual rate of 1% in the past five years, and 2% since 2000.

Notes:
1. The 2000 estimate has been adjusted to exclude the total number of active non-resident anglers in Quebec. The adjustment was done in order to allow comparison with the 2010 estimate.
2. Consumer Price Index, Catalogue 62-001-X, April 2011, Statistics Canada.
Source: DFO, Economic Analysis and Statistics.

Transportation and food and lodging were the principal expenditure items of all anglers in 2010 (Figure 4.10). For every dollar spent on goods and services directly related to angling activities, sixty-eight cents went to cover transportation costs and food and lodging expenses during the year.

Not surprisingly, these two categories have consistently been the top trip expense items. Each active angler spent, on average, $281 to cover transportation and travel costs and another $240 on food and lodging expenses during fishing trips throughout 2010.

Figure 4.10 Total Direct Recreational Fishing Expenditures, All Active Anglers, by Expense Category, Canada, 2010

Source: DFO, Economic Analysis and Statistics.

4.4.1.1 Transportation

Transportation expenditures covered all travel-related costs including air and bus fares, ferry costs, vehicle costs and aircraft rentals. In 2010, the total current dollar transportation expenditures of all active anglers reached $925 million. Transportation expenditures increased at an average annual rate of 2% between 2005 and 2010.

The average transportation cost per angler varied widely across the provinces and territories and were the highest for Canadian resident anglers who fished in B.C.'s tidal waters and for non-resident anglers who fished in Nunavut ($735 and $635, respectively). On average, non-resident Canadian anglers paid $320 per angler, the highest of the three angler groups.

4.4.1.2 Food and Lodging

Total food and lodging expenditures ($789 million) represented almost one-third of the total direct recreational fishing expenditures in Canada. On average, an active angler paid $240 to cover food, lodging and accommodation expenses. However, the average per angler cost could more than double these overall averages, depending on the category and fishing jurisdiction.

As expected, lodging costs took up a higher proportion of the total food and lodging expenses for non-resident anglers who were more likely to stay at least overnight on fishing trips. For example, a foreign angler in Prince Edward Island spent over $770 (on average) to pay for food, lodging and accommodations in 2010, while a non-resident Canadian angler spent close to $473 for food and lodging in Newfoundland and Labrador .

4.4.1.3 Package Deals

Total expenses on package deals amounted to $395 million in 2010. Package deals often include a wide range of goods and services such as food, lodging, transportation, fishing supplies, equipment, etc., with the objective of making it easier for anglers to plan their fishing trips, in exchange for a certain price.

Package deals have become increasingly popular throughout the years, as more and more anglers started taking advantage of the deals offered by fishing lodges, guide services, outfitters and travel agencies. However, in current dollars, expenditures on package deals for angling fell by almost 19% when compared to 2005. In 2010, the package deals share of total expenditures has fallen back to almost 16%. Anglers in the Northwest Territories, BC Tidal Waters and in Nunavut, primarily non-Canadian anglers, spent a relatively higher proportion of their trip expenses on packages purchased in 2010 (Figure 4.11).

Figure 4.11 Share of Total Direct Recreational Fishing Expenditures, by Expense Category, Northwest Territories, BC Tidal Waters, Nunavut and Canada, 2010

Source: DFO, Economic Analysis and Statistics.

4.4.1.4 Fishing Services, Fishing Supplies and Other Direct
Recreational Fishing Expenditures

Expenditures on fishing services, covering boat rentals and guide services as well as licence and access fees, totalled $194 million in 2010. Their share of total direct recreational fishing expenditures increased to 8% in 2010, up from 7% in 2005.

As in other expenditure categories, there was a wide range in the average fishing services expenditure per angler in 2010. It could be as low as $10 per angler as in the case of resident anglers in Newfoundland and Labrador and as high as the $427 average amount paid by non-resident anglers in New Brunswick, mainly to pay for club memberships and fees paid for guide services.

Expenses related to purchases of lures, lines, tackle, bait, and other fishing supplies were $201 million in 2010 (or 8% of total direct expenditures). Resident anglers across Canada spent a relatively higher proportion of their fishing expenditures on fishing supplies (as high as 16% for resident anglers in Prince Edward Island), in comparison with non-resident anglers. In general, non-resident Canadian and other non-resident anglers spent approximately 4% of their total fishing expenditures on these supplies.

4.5 Major Purchases and Investments

In 2010, anglers invested $5.8 billion in boats, motors, camping gear, special vehicles, real estate and other durable goods related to their recreational fishing activities (Annex A.10). Of this total, an estimated $3.0 billion was directly or wholly attributable to recreational fishing (Annex A.11). Expenditures on recreational fishing investments in 2010 increased by 16% over 2005. ^{Footnote 12} Part of this increase may have been a result of a change in how investments for boating equipment and special vehicles were covered. In 2010, all jurisdictions asked anglers to differentiate between new and used equipment purchases.

Boating equipment and special vehicles accounted for just under 60% of the $3.0 billion investments wholly attributable to recreational fishing. This was followed by investments on land and buildings ($500 million) and camping equipment ($364 million). The remaining amount (almost 12%) was for major purchases of fishing equipment and other miscellaneous investments (Figure 4.12).

Figure 4.12 Major Purchases and Investments Wholly Attributable to Recreational Fishing, by Investment Category, Canada, 2010

Source: DFO, Economic Analysis and Statistics.

Investment activities by resident anglers essentially determined the general profile of investments attributable to recreational fishing, as their investments represented $2.8 billion or 95% the overall total in 2010 (Annex A.12).

Non-resident Canadians and foreign anglers invested $93 million and $44 million, respectively, in 2010. Investment spending by both of these angler categories was mostly on land and/or buildings purchases (close to 59% of attributable investments).