A couple of million lakes and rivers, plus the longest ocean coastline in the world make Canada a premier fishing destination. Let’s cast our rod into our rapidly flowing river of fish data and see what we can pull out. Unlike most fishing tales, you can trust this story.
The joy of fishing
We asked Canadian households if they participated in outdoor activities close to home during the second year of the pandemic. Just under 1 in 10 (9%) Canadian households told us they went fishing close to home in 2021.
The share of Canadian households who went fishing was comparable to those who bird watched/photographed (11%) or camped (10%) close to home.
The business of fishing
We counted 853 fishing and hunting camps with employees during the second half of 2022. Over half of the camps were located in Quebec (253) and Ontario (229). British Columbia (125) ranked third, mostly located in costal areas.
Just over half (52%) of fishing and hunting camps in Canada are small business operations, employing from one to four people. In the second half of 2022, the three largest camps in Canada each employed from 100 to 200 people.
The cost of fishing
Like most hobbies, there is a cost involved in fishing. The good news is you were paying 18.3% less for gasoline this May compared with a year earlier, making it cheaper to drive to your favourite fishing hole.
Sporting equipment cost 0.7% more year over year, well below the pace of inflation (+3.4%).
A new recreational vehicle or outboard motor cost 4.7% more.
For those frying up their fish over a fire on a beach, the price of butter was 10.0% higher year over year in May.
When the fish don’t bite, farmed fish will do
When the fish don’t bite you can always stop by a grocery store on the way home and buy some fresh or frozen Canadian farmed fish.
Canadian fish farmers produced 148 710 tonnes of farmed finfish in 2021, with British Columbia accounting for just under three-fifths (58.2%) of the total by volume.
Prices for fresh or frozen fish were 5.1% higher this May compared with the same month one year earlier.
Contact information
For more information, contact the Statistical Information Service (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).