Money from US environmental organizations is influencing Canadian policy, federal agencies, and government bureaucrats… and it could mean bad news for our access to fishing.
The fishing tradition is built into the very fabric of our lives as Canadians and with it, an inclination to protect the natural resources at our disposal.
In the early 1900s many fish and wildlife populations were in serious decline. Commercialization and unregulated over-harvest were indisputable threats. Recognizing certain disaster, a few passionate anglers and hunters formed the Boone & Crockett Club: the first major conservation organization.
Their foresight resulted in the creation of government fish and wildlife management agencies, professional academic training and scientific standards, creel and bag limits with closed seasons enforced by game wardens, public ownership of fish, wildlife, parks and protected areas.
However, what should be celebrated as an ongoing accomplishment in long-lasting sustainability, is unfortunately tainted by a large network of nefarious motives, backroom meetings, and questionable financial dealings.
Over the past decade, hundreds of millions of dollars from U.S. Environmental Non-Government Organizations (ENGOs) and their supporting foundations have been dedicated to influencing the government of Canada in a sustained clandestine initiative to permanently close public access to vast regions of public waters and adjacent lands.
ENGOs, who do not pay taxes nor employ tens of thousands of Canadians, pressure the federal government for hundreds of millions of dollars a year, often directed at further restricting or banning angler access to places to fish.
The irony is striking.
Go to Article 2: The North American Model of Conservation
Go to Article 3: Protection Zones: One Size Does Not Fit All
Go to Article 4: Canadians’ Access to Fishing Could Close Permanently
Go to Article 5: 8 Million Anglers Left in the Dark: Why Don’t We Get a Say in Fishing Closures?
Go to Article 6: Marine Conservation and Fisheries Management From Anglers’ Perspective
This is an ongoing issue that we will be reporting on — both in-depth and as the threat of fishing closures arise across the country.
We invite you to review the Canadian Sportfishing Industry Association’s document, Elevating Recreational Fishing to a National Priority, for more details about this very important topic.
As well, if you’ve ever wanted to help support the recreational fishing industry in Canada, now is the time. Keep Canada Fishing is the national voice of Canada’s anglers, and we lead the effort to preserve your right to sustainably fish on our lakes, oceans, rivers and streams. We are your voice on Parliament Hill. If you would like to contribute to our efforts to “Keep Canada Fishing,” you can donate now via PayPal.
