2024 economic profile of all BC recreational fisheries

British Columbia tidal and freshwater recreational fishing (all species)

Tidal water recreational fishing values represent the 2023 fishing year and freshwater recreational fishing values represent the 2024 fishing year and all the values are in 2024 dollars.

Excludes juvenile and family fishing weekend licence holders.

Expenditures

• Tidal water - $622M
• Freshwater - $530M
• Total - $1.2B

Days

• Tidal water - 1.3M
• Freshwater – 3.4M
• Total – 4.7M

Active fishers

• Tidal water – 210.3K
• Freshwater – 260.8K
• Total – 471.1K
• Individuals who participate in both tidal water and freshwater fisheries are counted here twice

Licenced fishers

“Licenced fishers” refers to the number of licences issued.

• Tidal water – 313.2K
• Freshwater – 357.2K
• Total – 670.5K
• Individuals who purchased both tidal and freshwater licences are counted twice.

GDP

• Tidal water - $330.1M
• Freshwater - $293.7M
• Total - $623.9M

Household income

• Tidal water - $221.5M
• Freshwater - $197.1M
• Total - $418.6M

Employment

• Tidal water – 3,255
• Freshwater – 2,983
• Total – 6,238

There is considerable economic spin-off value generated by the tidal and freshwater recreational fishing sectors in BC, with expenditures totaling $1.2 B in 2024. Of these expenditures, $623.9M was value added by BC’s recreational fishing sector to provincial GDP.

Recreational fishers

While there is growing interest in freshwater fishing from visitors to the province, BC residents dominate sport fishing in British Columbia. BC residents fished nearly 90% of days fished in the province and contributed to 68% of recreational fishing expenditures.

Tidal water contribution is from 2023 data.

Recreational fishing chart:

Active fishers:

• Resident (44% freshwater, 31% tidal water)
• Visitor (11% freshwater, 14% tidal water)

Days fished:

• Resident (64% freshwater, 23% tidal water)
• Visitor (8% freshwater, 5% tidal water)

Total expenditures:

• Resident (35% freshwater, 33% tidal water)
• Visitor (12% freshwater, 20% tidal water)

Fishing effort

Recreational fishers on average spent more days per year fishing in freshwater than in tidal waters. On average, licenced fishers spent 12.8 days fishing in freshwater, and 6.3 days fishing in tidal water. Residents spent more days fishing in both tidal and freshwater than visitors.

Tidal water values are from 2023 data.

Fishing effort chart:

• Resident: (14 days freshwater, 8 days tidal water)
• Non-resident Canadian: (7 days freshwater, 4 days tidal water)
• International: (6 days freshwater, 4 days tidal water)

Recreational tidal fisheries economic summary

Note these figures do not include freshwater values. You cannot sum across species groups for active fishery as it will result in double counting.

Tidal water values are from 2023 data with expenditure values in 2024 dollars.

Shellfish: crab

• Expenditures: $48.0M
• Fishing days: 190.3K
• Active fishers: 57.9K

Shellfish: shrimp/prawn

• Expenditures: $25.8M
• Fishing days: 82.3K
• Active fishers: 26.0K

Shellfish: other

• Expenditures: $4.2M
• Fishing days: 20.7K
• Active fishers: 11.1K

Salmon: Chinook

• Expenditures: $206.0M
• Fishing days: 389.0K
• Active fishers: 121.4K

Salmon: Coho

• Expenditures: $132.7M
• Fishing days: 245.2K
• Active fishers: 103.5K

Salmon: Pink or Chum

• Expenditures: $32.4M
• Fishing days: 94.2K
• Active fishers: 42.8K

Salmon: Sockeye

• Expenditures: $9.6M
• Fishing days: 22.6K
• Active fishers: 15.1K

Groundfish: halibut

• Expenditures: $55.0M
• Fishing days: 70.9K
• Active fishers: 60.2K

Groundfish: lingcod

• Expenditures: $56.8M
• Fishing days: 90.6K
• Active fishers: 62.2K

Groundfish: rockfish

• Expenditures: $36.3M
• Fishing days: 69.1K
• Active fishers: 44.6K

Groundfish: other

• Expenditures: $6.5M
• Fishing days: 27.2K
• Active fishers: 9.5K

Tuna

• Expenditures: $1.1M
• Fishing days: 1.1K
• Active fishers: 1.0K