After immigrating to Canada, friends aged 18 to 64 must have a Fishing License to use a fishing rod or any fishing gear. There are many regulations regarding fishing; how can one obtain a fishing license in Ontario? Let's read the following article together!
The annual fee for a fishing license is $22.05, and the general validity period of a fishing license is one year. There are also short-term fishing licenses available, such as 5-day, 3-day, and 1-day licenses for tidal waters, and 8-day and 1-day licenses for freshwater. If you are an international student residing here for more than six months, you will be treated as a resident when purchasing a fishing license; each person can only purchase one annual license, and if lost, it can only be replaced. Possessing multiple licenses is illegal.
If you do not plan to fish often, you may only apply for a one-day fishing license. The processing fees for non-residents and residents are different (as long as you have a fixed address in Canada, you are considered a local resident, including international students and visiting parents).
Methods of application:
1. Fishing licenses can be obtained directly through the government’s Department of Fisheries website. The URL is: www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/nrls-sndpp/index-eng.cfm
The steps to follow are as follows:
1. Under “NewFishers”, click “Registernow”.
2. Input Personal Profile Information.
3. After completing your personal information, proceed to the next page and select your fishing license type under “Select a Licence Type”. Options include a one-day, three-day, five-day, or one-year license. (If you choose a daily license, do not forget to fill out the intended start date for fishing.)
4. The prices are as follows: one-day license: $5.51; three-day license: $11.55; five-day license: $16.80 (all prices are tax-included).
5. There is no need for an additional Pacific Salmon Stamp; it can be skipped.
6. There are two payment methods: Credit Card and Bank Account.
7. After confirming the payment, print your fishing license.
2. If you do not wish to apply for a fishing license online, you may also do so at any fishing tackle store. You will need to present any one of the following documents: Ontario driver’s license, Permanent Resident Card, or passport.
Lastly, please remember to always carry your fishing license while fishing! Make sure to present it promptly during inspections; excuses like having forgotten it at home will not be accepted and can be treated as fishing without a license. Furthermore, borrowing someone else's fishing license is likely a serious offense.
From July 5 to July 13 of this year, it is the Ontario Family Fishing Event, and during these days, everyone is allowed to fish without a license.
Stamp
When applying for a fishing license, you will see a prompt for ”Stamp”. This means that if you want to fish for special species, you need to buy a specific stamp to affix to your basic fishing license. For example, for salmon (there are different regulations for tidal and freshwater), and steelhead (freshwater).
Certain special water bodies require a special stamp called “classified water stamp”. An important point: in tidal waters, if you are fishing for salmon, you must purchase the stamp; in freshwater, if you are only catch-and-release, you do not need to buy the salmon stamp; however, if you are fishing for steelhead, you must purchase the stamp whether you keep it or not.
Children’s Situation
Children also need to obtain a fishing license for the tidal portion, which is free. If they intend to fish for salmon, they need to buy the salmon stamp; for the freshwater portion, children do not need any licenses.
Regardless of freshwater or tidal, all fishing rules must be adhered to; there is one thing that we must pay attention to as a community: it is a misconception that many people only apply for a free saltwater fishing license for their children and then go crabbing or fishing as a family, believing this to be legal. This is a serious misunderstanding!
The basic principle is that if you are keeping your child's fishing license and participating in activities, you (one parent) must have a valid adult fishing license! If you do not have a fishing license, then your child's license must be kept and used solely by them; you are not allowed to participate in the activity. There are no such rules for freshwater fishing.
