Sask. hunting, angling licenses to increase in April

Outfitter fee hike WATCH: How a fee hike for Sask. hunting, trapping and fishing licences could affect tourism.

Hunters, trappers and anglers in Saskatchewan can soon expect to see price hikes for licenses starting April 1.

The incoming fee hikes are intended to create millions of dollars in revenue for the province.

Last week, the province announced a series of changes to several fees administered from a variety of ministries, which will take effect in the 2022-23 fiscal year.

The government expects the changes to generate about $2.7 million in additional revenue for the province in 2022-23.

However, there is $3.27 million expected revenue from fee increases for hunting, trapping and fishing licences alone.

For people in Saskatchewan, fees are going up by $5 for many of the licenses.

A wildlife habitat certificate will go up from $15 to $20, a game bird licence is increasing from $20 to $25, and a moose licence will increase from $40 to $55.

Fees increase by as much as $15 for non-residents or international travellers looking to hunt and fish in Saskatchewan.

While $5 may not seem like much, if you're interested in more than one activity in the summer and fall, the fees add up quickly.

"It'll probably increase for us about $100," Saskatchewan Wildlife Executive Director Darrell Crabbe said, when adding up the increases for him and his sons this upcoming year.

While Crabbe is happy to see 30 per cent of all new revenue from the fee hike go to the Fish and Wildlife Development Fund (FWDF) that helps keep hunting and fishing sustainable in Saskatchewan, he's left wondering how many people will choose to ignore the Saskatchewan pastimes because of the fee increases.

"Between the cost of fuel and certainly an increase in license fees -- and with hunting -- CWD (chronic wasting disease) and the uncertainty around the trespass legislation, we're hearing a lot of people that are suggesting that maybe they might not hunt next year or two," Crabbe said.

The Ministry of Environment said the increase to the licence fees will add roughly $900,000 to the FWDF. The rest will go to the General Revenue Fund.

Some of the ways the money going towards the FWDF can be used is new wildlife and fisheries management opportunities, supporting research and development of a chronic wasting disease vaccine and more stocking opportunities for provincial bodies of water.

In a statement to CTV News, the Ministry of Environment says the fee increase keeps Saskatchewan competitive with other places in Canada.

"License fees have not increased in five years and represent a small part of the overall cost of the hunting and angling experience. In most cases, fee increases for Saskatchewan residents have been limited to $5 with Canadian resident and non-resident licenses going up significantly more," the statement read.

Crabbe said there were near-record numbers of people fishing in Saskatchewan over the past two years thanks in large part to the emphasis of social distancing.

He worries a fee hike could undo that momentum.

"Historically, in 2012 (and) in 2017 when the licence fee increases came through, There was a 10% reduction in hunting and angling in both of those cases," he said.

Wade Burton operates Trail North Fishing Camp on Lac La Ronge and says he didn't even bother to open up his camp the past two years with all of the changing restrictions.

Just as he was excited about a new year to open the camp up, he is grappling with additional PST charges he has to extend to his customers on top of the additional licence fees.

"It's just another thing you have to do. And it doesn't benefit us at all. It'll hurt customers coming as the prices are going to be more expensive. The prices were already going to be more expensive because of the last two years we weren't operating. And then with inflation everything goes up," he said.

While Burton was largely unaffected by the lack of American travelers coming to Sasktchewan looking to fish and hunt, he feels a fee hike looking to cash in on an angling surge in population is an unwelcome blow to the industry.

"I wish they didn't even add this (and) didn't even put this on. Like, give us a few years to get our base back to get building our companies again," he said.