Conservation and stewardship of B.C.’s freshwater fisheries will get a financial boost through an increase in angling fees for the 2023-24 season.

Freshwater angling fees in British Columbia have not increased since 2003, and 100% of the revenue goes toward funding 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.

Angling licences will see an increase of 9.9% for the 2023-24 licence year and an additional 4% for the 2024-25 licence year. For example, the most common angling licence, the basic angling licence for adults, will increase from $36 per year to $39.56 per year later in 2023 and then to $41.15 in 2024.

The proposed increases are supported by the Provincial Angling Advisory Team with stakeholder membership groups also approving of the increase.

Overall, these increases are anticipated to infuse additional funding to the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC and the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, helping them continue to deliver the conservation services they provide to British Columbians.

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 connecting with B.C.’s biodiversity.