Description

The outfitted sport fishing sector in the Northwest Territories (NWT), including fishing lodges and outfitters that primarily market to fishers, appears to be experiencing a market contraction. This observation is based on anecdotal evidence from outfitters and has not been formally confirmed. Because this sector is a significant part of the NWT’s tourism industry, a critical assessment of the outfitted sport fishing industry is required to understand trends and issues. To address the demand side of the sport fishing sector, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans is conducting a detailed survey of the recreational fishing industry in Canada this year. The nationally coordinated study, which occurs every five years, provides data on a wide variety of topics of interest to fisheries managers at the various levels of government. The results of the survey provide the most authoritative and up-to-date information on fishing activity, and provide detailed information on the economic dimensions of the recreational fisheries in all regions of the country.