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Fishing for fun slowly losing popularity, Statistics Canada says
By: Canadian Press
Canoe News
June 25, 2008
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2008/06/25/5980716-cp.html
OTTAWA - Statistics Canada says fewer people are fishing for fun these days, which is good news for the fish, at least.
The agency says 3.2 million adults bought fishing licences in Canada in 2005, down 25 per cent from the number who hit the water in 1995.
Overall, it says, recreational fishermen are getting older - the average age is 48 for men and 44 for women.
Anglers tend to fish for the same number of days they did a decade ago - about two weeks each - but because of their dwindling numbers, the catch dropped to 156 million fish in 2005 from 196 million in 1995.
The average annual catch was 64 fish for each angler, although Prince Edward Island fisherman reeled in an average of 90.
Ontario and Quebec - home to the biggest numbers of anglers - also showed the biggest drops in both fishermen on the water and fish caught.
However, the ranks of sports fishermen actually rose by seven per cent in Newfoundland and Labrador between 1995 and 2005.
The survey says trout are the main target for sports anglers, making up a quarter of the total catch.
The other major target species are walleye, perch, bass, northern pike and salmon.
Anglers tend to spend about the same amount on their pastime as they did in the 1990s, but the reduced numbers means that total take from recreational fishing dropped to $1.6 billion in 2005 from $1.8 billion in 1995.
By: Canadian Press
Canoe News
June 25, 2008
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2008/06/25/5980716-cp.html
OTTAWA - Statistics Canada says fewer people are fishing for fun these days, which is good news for the fish, at least.
The agency says 3.2 million adults bought fishing licences in Canada in 2005, down 25 per cent from the number who hit the water in 1995.
Overall, it says, recreational fishermen are getting older - the average age is 48 for men and 44 for women.
Anglers tend to fish for the same number of days they did a decade ago - about two weeks each - but because of their dwindling numbers, the catch dropped to 156 million fish in 2005 from 196 million in 1995.
The average annual catch was 64 fish for each angler, although Prince Edward Island fisherman reeled in an average of 90.
Ontario and Quebec - home to the biggest numbers of anglers - also showed the biggest drops in both fishermen on the water and fish caught.
However, the ranks of sports fishermen actually rose by seven per cent in Newfoundland and Labrador between 1995 and 2005.
The survey says trout are the main target for sports anglers, making up a quarter of the total catch.
The other major target species are walleye, perch, bass, northern pike and salmon.
Anglers tend to spend about the same amount on their pastime as they did in the 1990s, but the reduced numbers means that total take from recreational fishing dropped to $1.6 billion in 2005 from $1.8 billion in 1995.