Hunter in the field

We Fish. We Hunt. We Trap.

We Vote

National Fishing and Hunting Collaborative
Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters
Manitoba Wildlife Federation
Yukon Fish and Game Association
Nova Scotia Federation of Anglers and Hunters
Alberta Fish and Game
Saskatchwan Wildlife Federation
Newfoundland Wildlife Federation
Prince Edward Island Wildlife Federation
NWT Wildlife Federation
British Columbia Wildlife Federation
New Brunswick Wildlife Federation
Federation Quebecoise des Chasseurs et pecheurs

The National Fishing and Hunting Collaborative is a group of non-partisan, non-profit fishing and hunting organizations that work collaboratively to provide national leadership on important conservation issues and a voice for more than 375,000 Canadians from coast-to-coast-to-coast.

We are diverse and we live in all areas of Canada

Why Our
Votes Matter

9 in 10Canadianssupport fishing, hunting and trapping
Source:Nanos Research
Fishing, hunting, trapping and sport shooting contributed
$13.2 billion
to Canada's gross domestic product in 2018 – 0.6% of the Canadian economy.
In 2018, these activities supported
nearly 107,000 Canadian jobs
labour income estimated at $6.4 billion
The economic benefit from these activities boosted federal and provincial government revenue by 6.1 Billion in 2018
Canadians in the outdoors 2.97 Million Licensed Anglers 1.27 Million Licensed Hunters 45 Thousand Licensed Trappers 1.40 Million
Sport  Shooters
Direct Spending in Canada
  • Fishing$10.3 Billion
  • Hunting$5.9 Billion
  • Trapping$130 Million
  • Sport Shooting$2.6 Billion
  • Total$18.9 Billion

The National Five

The affiliate organizations of the National Fishing and Hunting Collaborative ranked their top priorities for the next federal government, and ask for meaningful commitments to address them.

  1. PROMOTION OF FISHING, HUNTING and TRAPPING
    Priority Fishing, hunting and trapping are important heritage activities, continue to be socially and culturally important to millions of Canadians, help to fund conservation, and generate $13.2 billion annually for our national economy.
    NFHC Ask We are seeking a commitment to develop and implement a National Hunting , Trapping and Fishing Strategy that outlines how the government can actively promote these activities, including re-establishing the Hunting and Angling Advisory Panel AND government support to elevate the status of National Hunting, Trapping and Fishing Heritage Day.
    DOWNLOAD PRIORITY BACKGROUNDER
  2. FIREARMS POLICY
    Priority Arbitrary classification and general firearms bans are becoming increasingly common around the world based on emotional social responses to the appearance or perception of a firearm. Prohibitions on firearms should only be implemented through a consistent, transparent, and evidence-based classification process that fully consults firearms users.
    NFHC Ask We are seeking a commitment to take a strong position and action on organized crime, gangs, other illegal firearms activities and the associated root causes of firearms-related crime, AND not implement any general bans on firearms.
    DOWNLOAD PRIORITY BACKGROUNDER
  3. CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE
    Priority CWD continues to spread across North America, threatening wildlife populations, our economy (including restrictions on trade of agricultural goods), and public health through exposure in the human food chain and blood supply.
    NFHC Ask We are seeking a commitment to prohibit the movement of live cervids within and between provinces/territories and across international borders AND phase out cervid farming with appropriate compensation for producers.
    DOWNLOAD PRIORITY BACKGROUNDER
  4. CONSERVATION FUNDING
    Priority There is a growing need for conservation funding in Canada and increasing uncertainty in government budgets at all levels to support these investments. There are a variety of tools used outside of Canada to establish stable, dedicated funding for conservation activities (e.g. U.S. excise taxes on outdoors goods).
    NFHC Ask We are seeking a commitment to create and invest in fish and wildlife enhancement funding programs, AND explore new models for long-term revenue generation strategies to support fish and wildlife conservation.
    DOWNLOAD PRIORITY BACKGROUNDER
  5. AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES
    Priority Invasive species continue to be one of the greatest threats to biodiversity in Canada. Species like zebra mussels, invasive tunicates, Sea Lamprey, and Asian carps pose a serious threat to our ecosystems and recreational activities, and cost hundreds of millions of dollars to our economy once established.
    NFHC Ask We are seeking a commitment to establish permanent and sufficient funding for consistent, integrated, and prioritized education and outreach, early detection, and rapid response efforts to fight aquatic invasive species.
    DOWNLOAD PRIORITY BACKGROUNDER

Other National Priorities

Lyme Disease: Although it didn’t quite rank in the National Five, Lyme disease was identified as a regional priority for federal action by the Manitoba, Ontario, and Québec members of the NFHC. They are seeking increased outreach and awareness for this significant public health issue, and a commitment to have Health Canada approve the use, sale, and marketing of permethrin insect repellant and permethrin-treated clothing for the specific purpose of tick bite prevention.
Lead Alternatives: Working with and encouraging industry to develop and market non-lead alternatives for fishing tackle and ammunition that compete with lead-based products in price, availability, and effectiveness.

Migratory Birds: Making a funding investment that matches migratory bird hunting permit contributions. This investment would go directly back into migratory bird conservation and management actions.

Regional Priorities

Our regional differences help to make us Canadian. With that in mind, some NFHC members also offered a perspective on what the federal government should be doing at a more regional level.

Yukon
  • Address declining caribou populations, especially cross-border populations, exploring the potential of all available tools (e.g. predator control).
  • Public recreational fishing opportunities for salmon in the Yukon River when population goals (e.g. escapement) allow for a harvest.
British Columbia
  • Funding for salmon habitat restoration and enhancement in key watersheds where values are at risk, and proactively provide funding for the protection of watershed functioning and resilience, particularly in light of climate change.
  • Act on the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) recommendation to list the Interior Fraser Steelhead as Endangered under the Species at Risk Act.
  • Provide funding support for roundtable co-management of fish and wildlife with Indigenous, local, provincial, and federal government involvement.
  • Participation in landscape and watershed sustainability planning
    • by setting objectives, aiding in the planning framework, and investing resources (particularly from carbon taxes) towards environmental sustainability and adaptation.
Alberta
  • Recognition of the value of public ownership of public lands, fish, and wildlife, with all to be managed in the best interest of the public. The true value of public lands to society as a whole needs to be re-examined, and no more sales of public land should occur.
  • Habitat protection and enhancement with an emphasis on managing cumulative effects. We recognize that industrial activity on public lands is going to happen, but there needs to be more stringent protocols, including identifying areas where it will NOT happen. The notion of conservation offsets needs to be further examined as an option to ensure that areas where there is a high social value to the land that no industrial development occur there.
  • As time goes on, it becomes increasingly important that people have the opportunity to connect with nature to enjoy activities that are traditional to them and their families. Access to public lands continues to be an issue. Reasonable access should always be permitted for the public to enjoy public lands.
Manitoba
  • In collaboration with the Province of Manitoba, provide funding to support the formation of regional fish and wildlife shared management committees. This would bring government, Indigenous communities, and resource users such as licensed hunters and anglers, and other interested partners, together to develop management plans collaboratively.
  • Enhancement of independent and scientifically credible commercial fish stock assessments in Lake Winnipeg, done in collaboration with Indigenous commercial fishers and the Province of Manitoba.
Ontario
  • Invest sufficient and consistent funding into Great Lakes Canada-Ontario Agreement priorities, including habitat and species restoration, nutrient management, and Aquatic Invasive Species prevention and mitigation. Canada's Great Lakes provide social, economic, health, and recreational benefits to more than 11-million Canadians, and generate more than $13-billion annually for the Canadian economy from recreation and resource-related interests alone.
  • Establish a regulated hunt for sandhill cranes in Ontario. The tremendous recovery and growth of Eastern Population Sandhill Cranes (currently estimated at 80,000 to 90,000 birds) is a conservation success story and is now capable of supporting a regulated harvest and its associated benefits.
  • Eliminate federal protection of mute swans (Migratory Bird Convention Act) and take aggressive action to reduce the growth and spread of all-time high (in 2017) populations in southern Ontario. Mute swans are considered an invasive species in Canada due to their negative impacts on other waterfowl and their habitat, and have significant potential for further expansion and growth.
Quebec
  • Legalize sport fishing of Striped Bass (St-Lawrence population) in order for the community to benefit from the reintroduction efforts and investments made over the past 20 years.
  • Ensure fairness between commercial and recreational fishermen; initiate legalization of Atlantic Halibut, Alewife and lobster sport fishing.
  • Allow sport hunting of sandhill cranes, which would reduce wildlife-induced damage of farm crops in certain regions of Québec.
Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Recognition of the significant role the fisheries of Atlantic Canada have with respect to cultural, traditional, and heritage activities for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.
  • A strong commitment to the people of Atlantic Canada that freshwater and marine species and their ecosystems will be protected by ensuring a significant increase in funding allocated to science and management for the provinces of Atlantic Canada.
  • A declaration that wild Atlantic salmon in Canada are an iconic species and a commitment that Newfoundland and Labrador receive sufficient resources in order to ensure this species will not be lost.
Some NFHC members didn't identify additional regional priorities for the federal government
Flags for Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick

The National Fishing and Hunting Collaborative asked each major political party for responses and meaningful commitments to address the National 5 priorities. As we receive them, they’ll be posted below. Access them by clicking on the party logos.

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