Competitive Fishing Events

COVID-19 response: temporary closures

The Government of Alberta has temporarily closed front counters at all Fish and Wildlife offices across the province.

• You can contact Fish and Wildlife offices using the phone numbers listed on the Fish and Wildlife - Contacts page.
• For recreational sportfishing or hunting information, please visit AlbertaRELM or call the AlbertaRELM Help Desk at 1-888-944-5494.
• Vehicle access is now permitted at parking lots and staging areas in provincial parks and public land. Facilities like playgrounds and washrooms remain temporarily closed. For more information, visit the Alberta Parks advisories page.

For more information about Alberta’s COVID-19 response, visit COVID-19 info for Albertans.

A competitive fishing event is a competition involving 26 or more anglers where prizes are awarded based on fishing success — for example, on the size or weight of fish caught. The three categories of competitive fishing event — small, medium and large — are defined by their total prize values and number of participants.

Competitive fishing events often raise funds for important causes, and as anyone who has ever participated in one can tell you, they're also a lot of fun. But there is some potential downside to competitive fishing events, as the increased angling pressures associated with them can have significant impacts on fish populations.

Licensing for competitive fishing events was introduced in 2006 to help reduce these impacts and safeguard the long-term sustainability of the province's fisheries. You can read more on the background to licensing for competitive fishing events, and find answers to your other questions, in our Frequently Asked Questions below.

The following resources are available for organizers of competitive fishing events:

Forms

Licence Conditions for Competitive Fishing Events

List of Specified Penalty Ticket Amounts – 2018 Addition

As part of Alberta’s ongoing commitment to protecting our natural landscape and important water resources, enforcement officials will be better armed to issue fines without a mandatory court appearance for Fisheries (Alberta) Act abuses starting May 31, 2018. One important addition that will come into effect is to ensure better compliance and enforcement tools are in place so that all competitive fishing event participants are aware of the terms and conditions of the event.

Below is an additional Fisheries (Alberta) Act offence and the corresponding specified penalty ticket amount that will come into effect on May 31, 2018. The amounts listed below include the victim fine surcharge. A victim surcharge is a monetary penalty imposed on offenders at the time of sentencing. These funds are used to provide programs, services and assistance to victims of crime.

Competitive Fishing Events (CFEs)
Best Management Practices

Frequently Asked Questions

Contacts for Competitive Fishing Event Licensing

Updated: May 11, 2018