Subhead:Fishing advocates in B.C. warn the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ proposed salmon allocation policy changes could hand control to commercial operations and First Nations while cutting out a $1.27 billion recreational industry in the province.#
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Canada’s sport and recreational fishing industry is facing what many fear could be the end, as the federal government considers sweeping changes to how salmon are allocated across the country.
Proposed reforms to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ (DFO) Salmon Allocation Policy (SAP) could alter who gets to control access, effectively shutting sport and recreational fishers out of having a meaningful say while increasing the control of commercial operators and First Nations.
In British Columbia alone, the sport fishing industry is valued at roughly $1.27 billion and supports thousands of jobs tied directly to tourism, guiding, hospitality and coastal communities.
I was proud to stand with 1500 West Coast fishermen at the Vancouver Island Town Hall in Duncan.
While the Liberal government doubles down on putting livelihoods and a cherished way of life at risk, Conservatives will stand up for BC’s proud anglers, guides, and lodges.
Taking… pic.twitter.com/4UW8BAB7bv
— Blaine Calkins (@BlaineFCalkins) January 26, 2026
Those concerns recently boiled over at a town hall in Duncan, B.C., where more than 1,000 people including fishing advocates and several MPs, gathered to voice alarm over what the proposed policy could mean for their livelihoods.
In this interview, we interviewed B.C. Fishing Association (BCFA) president Mark Roberts, who says the impact could be devastating for the province.
