urban angling saskatoon by dbraun

7/30/2019 Urban Angling Saskatoon by DBraun

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Urban Angling in Saskatoon

Dustin Braun11080125

RUP 390Dr. Jill Gunn

November 26, 2012


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Table of Contents

Section 1.0 Introduction .................................................................................................................1

Section 2.0 Literature Review

Section 2.1 Context and Background ...........................................................................................1Section 2.2 Saskatoons Problem .................................................................................................3

Section 3.0 Method..........................................................................................................................5

Section 4.0 Results ..........................................................................................................................6

Section 5.0 Discussion

Section 5.1 Demographics of the Saskatoon Urban Angler.......................................................12

Section 5.2 Angling Characteristics...........................................................................................13

Section 6.0 Conclusion..................................................................................................................15

Literature Cited ............................................................................................................................17

Appendix A: Map of Fishing Locations in Saskatoon...............................................................19


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Table of Figures

Figure 1. Education of urban anglers, Saskatoon........................................................................6

Figure 2. Employment Status of urban anglers, Saskatoon........................................................7

Figure 3. Household income of urban anglers, Saskatoon..........................................................7

Table 1. Motivation for fishing ......................................................................................................8

Table 2. Motivation for fishing in the city .................................................................................... 8

Figure 4. Anglers modes of transportation...................................................................................9

Figure 5. Seasonal urban angling patterns...................................................................................9

Table 3. Angler location preference in Saskatoon ........................................................10

Figure 6. Frequency of angling....................................................................................................10

Table 4. Urban angler concerns ..................................................................................................11

Table 5. Comparing Saskatchewan (SK) and Saskatoon..........................................................12


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Section 1.0 Introduction

The city of Saskatoon is located on the South Saskatchewan River, which is a key

feature to the city. Saskatoon is fortunate because the river valley has been largely

preserved and kept public by the Meewasin Valley Authority. Meewasin is a

conservation organization created by the Government of Saskatchewan that is concerned

with preserving the natural features of the river valley and promoting a balance between

human use and conservation. Thanks to the efforts of Meewasin, Saskatoon residents

have access to a plethora of fishing locations on the river. However the city of Saskatoon

does not provide any information or support for the sport. Urban anglers are largely

ignored by the city, provincial government, and fishing authorities.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a foundation for understanding the needs

and expectations of urban anglers in the city of Saskatoon. First we will establish a base

of knowledge through the use of a literature review. Once we have an understanding of

the issue we will start by administering an urban anglers survey. This paper will outline

the results of the survey and proceed to analyze and discuss the possible implications.

The information learnt from this study will hopefully help facilitate better planning and

managing of urban fishing opportunities, as well as to provide insight into the

demographics of urban anglers.

Section 2.0 Literature Review

Section 2.1 Context and Background

The United Nations has made the prediction that by 2030 60% of the entire worlds

population will live in an urban center (Arlinghaus & Mehner, 2004). This means that

planners around the world will have to focus more on improving urban recreation

opportunities. Richard Louv is the author of the bestselling bookLast Child in the Woods

(2005), and most recently The Nature Principle (2011). In his books Louv acknowledges

that society has developed to the point that we put such a massive amount of faith in

technology and have begun to undervalue nature. Louv has written extensively about the

way urban residency disconnects individuals from the natural world. In 2005, InLast


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Child in the Woods Louv coined the term nature deficit disorder. The term was used as a

way to describe the growing gap between children and nature. In his more recent work in

2011, The Nature Principle, Louv expands the term to include the effects that a nature

deficit can have on adults as well.

Louv talks of a natural balance between technology and nature. He calls for a

reunion of humans with nature. Numerous studies have shown that nature has restorative

powers and the ability to produce intellectual and creative energy (Louv, 2011;

Degenhardt & Buchecker, 2012). Immersion in nature and outdoor recreation activities

can be a release from high concentration demands and can have therapeutic benefits.

Louv (2011) specifically mentions fly-fishing in his book as being a very therapeutic

exercise for breast cancer patients. A program called Casting for Recovery is established

in the United States that offers fly-fishing opportunities to women who have recently

gone through breast cancer. The program gets the women into nature and the therapeutic

effect of nature takes over. As populations continue to become more urban an increased

disconnect with nature will occur and it may be up to planners to facilitate more outdoor

recreation activities.

Recreational angling represents one of the most popular forms of outdoor recreation

in western societies (Arlinghaus & Mehner, 2004). As shown above recreational fishing

and especially urban angling have the potential to provide many benefits to society by

providing a way to escape everyday routines. Recreational angling is seen as a way to

connect with nature and release stress from hectic lifestyles (Louv 2005; Louv 2011).

However many fisheries management agencies across the United States are experiencing

declining license sales (Hutt & Neal, 2010; Wobler, 2008; Fedler, 2000). The declining

license sales may be attributed to the increasing urbanization that is occurring. More

people are locating themselves in major urban centers where fishing may not be easily

accessible. It could also be linked to the growing number of immigrants that are

migrating to the United States. Minorities are typically underrepresented in the angling

community. Regardless of the factors causing decreasing license sales the decline in

fishing participation is a cause for concern. The loss of any outdoor activity should be

considered undesirable and problematic. Angling offers a unique way to interact with the


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natural world in a deeper way because it requires more sensory immersion rather than

being a spectator, such as jogging in the park (Louv, 2011).

City planners in North American cities and worldwide are attempting to provide

recreation improvements to facilitate outdoor recreation. Improving urban angling

opportunities is becoming an important component of urban waterfront revitalization

worldwide (Wobler, 2008). By improving urban locations as opposed to rural locations

planners hope to affect more people and attract a greater diversity of anglers. Cities

around the world are establishing programs to increase angler recruitment and to promote

and provide urban angling opportunities (Bingham et. al., 2011). By providing nearby,

highly accessible fishing opportunities, people with time or income constraints can still

get out and fish (Hutt & Neal, 2010). However, in practice the majority of these fail in

achieving the goal of equal accessibility.

Urban fishing resources and programs are typically found in suburban areas and

only available to the upper and middle class (Hunt, 2000). If urban fishing programs want

to target the whole population, they should be adapted to involve the inner city residents

and minorities. The goal of these programs should be to provide new opportunities to the

previously under represented and un-served. However, currently they are providing a

place for well off suburban residents only.

Section 2.2 Saskatoons Problem

Historically, the alteration of urban rivers has resulted in diminishing recreation

opportunities because of private developments. Saskatoon is a river city that is very

fortunate because the river valley is kept mostly undeveloped thanks to the Meewasin

Valley Authority. The province of Saskatchewan is also fortunate because at the moment

fishing license sales seem to be fairly stable and there is no need for concern just yet

(Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 2010). However, as the province continues to become

increasingly urbanized it is possible that fishing may start to decline just as it has done in

the United States.

Angling is a popular outdoor activity in Saskatchewan and residents of the

province are very fortunate because Saskatchewan offers many diverse fishing

opportunities. The South Saskatchewan River flows right through Saskatoon and it is


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home to most of the fish species in the province. The most popular fish species in

Saskatchewan are walleye and pike, both of which are found in abundance in the South

Saskatchewan River (Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 2010). However, there is no

information on urban angling provided by Meewasin, Saskatchewan Environment, the

City of Saskatoon, or the Federal government. It is a niche that is being ignored in

planning. Saskatoon has the potential to create a world-class urban angling program that

could assist in education of anglers and provide opportunities to many people who have

never had the chance to fish before. Urban fishing programs are seen as a way to

introduce urban residents to fishing so they may develop greater appreciation for both

urban and rural resources (Hunt, 2000). Hunt (2000) said that the consequences of

failing to understand urban anglers include the loss of constituent backing, loss of

revenue from license sales, and potential conflict from different user groups. Saskatoon

and Saskatchewan could face these conflicts in the future if the needs of anglers are not

met.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans puts out a report every five years with

survey information provided by the provincial and territorial angling agencies. The report

provides information on anglers who have been selected to participate in the survey based

on a random sampling procedure. The report provides a very broad look at angling but

lacks the specifics that are needed to properly understand urban angling.

The purpose of this study is to understand who is fishing in Saskatoon, as well as

where and why. By understanding these factors planners may be able to create better

programs and plans to accommodate anglers. First we are going to look at the angling

data that is provided by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans of Canada to compare

urban anglers with Canadian anglers. We will also look at similar studies done in the

United States and Europe in an attempt to get a better picture of urban angling in

Saskatoon in relation to elsewhere in the world. The survey will be evaluated according

to the literature review.


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Section 3.0 Methods

An online anonymous survey (www.kwiksurveys.com) was used to collect the data

for this study. The survey was made available to forum members on two Saskatchewan

fishing and outdoor forums. The websites are virtual meeting places for fisherman and

are used and read by the target participants in the survey. The websites that were used are

www.fishingsaskatchewan.ca and www.menoutdoors.ca. Both of the websites are

Saskatchewan-run websites. The goal of this study was to connect with as many urban

anglers as possible.

The target participants for the survey were Saskatoon residents who have fished in

the city in the past year. There were no sampling procedures because the goal was to

target as many anglers as possible. The parameters for participation were clearly outlined

on the survey and it was clear who was eligible to participate. A link was provided on the

forum and members of the forum could click the link and were directed to the survey.

The biggest limitation to this study was the time of year that the survey took place.

Ideally this type of study would take place over a full angling season with observations of

anglers using the river and face-to-face interviews while they are fishing. This would give

a better picture of who is fishing on the river, and where. The online survey method was

used was made available to forum members only. However, the weather turned poor

earlier than usual, which resulted in limitations to the methods used.

Participants in the survey were asked to indicate the frequency that they fished

particular fishing spots. The fishing spots that were used in the survey were produced by

personal observations as well as using a magazine resource. Outdoor Canada Magazine

(Phillips, 2007) publishes a special fishing issue once a year and in 2007 they had an

article about fishing spots in big cities. The title of the article is Fish and the city. The

article shows 79 of the top urban hotspots in 12 Canadian cities and Saskatoon is one of

the urban centers that is highlighted. The section on Saskatoon shows five fishing spots

in the city. They are Meewasin Park, the Big Bend, the Forestry Farm pond, the weir,

and Queen Elizabeth power station. It elected to split the weir into two spots, east and

west, because it was observed that the Weir is a very popular fishing location (Appendix

A, Map 1)


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Once the survey results have been tabulated and recorded, to the results will be

compared with similar studies done in the United States and Germany to see how

Saskatoon urban anglers compare with elsewhere. I am also going to compare the data

from the survey with the data provided by the Department of Oceans and Fisheries on

recreational angling to see if there are any differences in the average Canadian angler and

urban anglers. The purpose is to better understand who makes up the urban anglers and if

there are any improvements that can be made to the city to try and facilitate improved

angling participation.

Section 4.0 Results

The online survey ran for one week from November 7 to 14. There were 30

respondents to the survey, which comprises the sample population. The sample should

give a very basic look into who makes

up the urban anglers in Saskatoon.

The survey proved that fishing is a

predominantly male dominated

activity. Of the 30 respondents 29 of

them were male. The samples average

age was 36 years old with a range

from 21 to 66 years old. Anglers were

also asked to Describe their

race/ethnicity. Of the 30 survey

participants, 20 described themselves

as Caucasian. Two people indicated

that they were Asian and another twopeople indicated they were Aboriginal. There were also six participants that did not

answer.

The participants were also asked to indicate the highest level of education that they

have received. Figure 1 portrays the distribution of education for urban anglers in

Saskatoon. Approximately one third has received a highschool degree or equivalent and

30%

10%

34%

13%

13%

Highschool

degree or

equivalent

Some college but

no degree

Bachelor degree

Graduate degree

Diploma or trades

school

Figure 1. Education of urban anglers, Saskatoon


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another third has a Bachelors degree. The other third is distributed between some

college but no degree, Graduate degree, and Diploma or trades school. There was

also an option for under a highschool degree, but none of the participants were in this

category.

Anglers were also asked to describe their employment status. Figure 2 illustrates

the employment status of the participants. The majority of participants were employed

full time. There was only one student and one retired person who completed the survey.

There were also four people

who worked 1 to 39 hours

per week, as well as one

participant that was

unemployed looking for

work.

As well as

employment status,

household income was also

of interest in this study. The

household income of

participants is illustrated in Figure 3. The participants had the option to specify their

household income. Of the 30 participants, 29 of answered the question. Of the 29, 17 of

the participants

indicated that their

household income was

$90,000 and above.

The other 12

participants were

distributed as follows.

Five participants

indicated that their household income was in the 60,000 74,999 dollar range. Another

four participants indicated that the household income was in the 30,000 44,999 dollar

0

5

10

15

20

25

employed

1 to 39

hours per

week

employed

40 or more

hours per

week

student not

employed

looking for

work

not

employed,

NOT

looking for

work

retired

Figure 2. Employment status of urban anglers,

Saskatoon.

0

5

10

15

20

under

15,000

15,000

29,999

30,000

44,999

45,000

59,999

60,000

74,999

75,000

89,999

90,000

and

above

Figure 3. Household income of urban anglers, Saskatoon.


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range. There was one participant in each of the 15,000 29,999, 45,000 59,999,

and 75,000 89,999 income ranges.

Next participants were asked to specify how long they have lived in Saskatoon. The

average number of years that

the participants have lived in

Saskatoon is 21 years. The

answers ranged from 3 to 48

years. They were then asked to

specify approximately how

long they have been fishing in

the city. The average number

of years that the participants

have been fishing in the city is

11. The answers ranged from 1

to 40 years. Anglers were then

asked to rate on a scale of one

to five their motivations for

fishing. With one being not

important and five being very

important. Table 1 shows the

distribution of answers that the

anglers provided. An average

was taken for each category of

motivation. This average

indicates the importance level

for each motivation for the

sample. In general to be in

nature, enjoy the challenge,

and relaxation were revealed

Table 1. Motivation for fishing.

1 2 3 4 5 Average

Relaxation 0 1 7 9 13 4.13

Escape Work 3 5 9 8 5 3.23

Be in nature 0 0 3 11 16 4.43

Be with family 1 7 9 5 8 3.40

Be with friends 2 4 8 10 6 3.47

Enjoy the challenge 0 0 5 10 15 4.33

Provide food 8 12 7 3 0 2.17

Catch big fish 2 3 8 11 6 3.53

Table 2. Motivation for fishing in the city.

1 2 3 4 5 Average

Relaxation 3 2 10 6 9 3.53

Easier than going to

the lake

1 1 4 11 13 4.13

Cheaper than going

to the lake

2 3 4 8 13 3.90

Be with Family 7 7 11 2 3 2.57

Be with Friends 6 2 15 6 1 2.80

Enjoy the challenge 1 2 11 10 6 3.60

Provide food 20 7 2 1 0 1.47

Catch big fish 4 5 7 9 5 3.20


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to be the top motivations.

Next, participants were asked the same question except referring to motivation for

fishing in the city. Table 2 illustrates their answers. Similarly to Table 1, an average was

taken to portray the highest average importance for the sample. The top motivations for

fishing in the city were found to be easier than going to the lake and cheaper than

going to the lake.

Participants were then asked to select all of the modes that were used to get to

fishing locations. Figure 4 outlines their answers. The most common mode of

transportation is to drive to the fishing spots. Some participants walked to fishing

locations and some biked but driving was the

mode of transportation used more than 60 percent

of the time. As well as how they got to fishing

spots, participants were asked to indicate the

times of the year that they find themselves fishing

the river. The answers were distributed fairly

evenly between spring, summer, and fall. There

were also some people that fished in the city in

winter. The times of years that people fished is

illustrated in Figure 5.

The participants were then provided with a

map and list of fishing locations and asked to

indicate the frequency of fishing particular

popular fishing spots (See appendix A for the

map). Table 3 shows the frequency that

participants fished popular fishing spots. The

most popular spots seamed to be either side of the

Weir and The Big Bend.

Once it was established where people are

fishing it was then asked how often that they

fished in one fishing season, which runs from

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Drive Walk Pubic

Transit

Bike

Figure 4. Anglers modes of

transportation.

36%

29%

31%

4%Spring

Summer

Fall

Winter

Figure 5. Seasonal urban angling patterns.


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May to March. They were then asked how often they fished in the city in a single season.

The results are illustrated in Figure 6.

Anglers were also

asked if they owned a boat or

had regular access to a boat.

Over two thirds (21 of 30) of

the participants answered yes

to owning a boat or having

access to a boat. They were

also asked if they noticed a

change in the number of people

fishing in the city in recent

years. Over 50 percent of the

participants (16 of 30) said that

there was an increase in the

number of people fishing in the

city. Twelve participants

noticed a stable fishing

population and only two people

noted a decrease in the number

of people fishing.

Next participants were

asked to rank concerns that

they felt were facing urban

anglers. Participants were

asked to rank the acuteness of

the concerns. The categories

that they were asked to put the

Table 3. Angler Location Preference in Saskatoon

Frequency of fishing

Location 0 1-2

times

3-5

times

6-10

times

10+

times

A. Queen

Elizabeth

power station

16 10 3 1 0

B. West side of

Weir6 10 5 2 7

C. East side of

Weir5 7 7 4 7

D. The Big

Bend14 6 3 6 1

E. Meewasin

Park 14 7 7 1 1

F. Forestry

Farm trout

pond

13 10 2 3 2

G. Other 17 4 5 2 2

0

5

10

1520

25

30

12

times

35

times

510

times

1015

times

Over

15

times

Figure 6. Frequency of Angling.

Frequency in City

Frequency overall


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concerns into were, no concern, minor concern, moderated concern, and major concern.

A minor concern was described as a problem that may need to addressed in the future if

the problem continues. A moderate concern was described as a problem that should be

addressed in the future. Lastly, the major concern was a problem that needs to be

addressed promptly. Table 4 shows the responses of the participants. The most acute

concerns noted by the respondents were excessive garbage on shoreline, access to

fishing spots, and health and cleanliness of the river.

Anglers were also asked to list any other concerns that were not mentioned in the

survey. Many participants reiterated the importance of safety and cleanliness. The vast

majority of safety concerns

were targeted at the Weir.

Participants noted finding

needles or having rocks

thrown at them when

fishing there. Multiple

participants noted having

confrontations at the

Weir with unsavory

characters. One participant

noted having to expose his

filleting knife to ward off

some aggressive people. As

well there was some

mention of a need for a

boat launch.

Another angler

noted the need for Proper

fishing practices and ethics. Find a better way to educate new and old fisherman. The

idea of angler education could be followed up on. Another participant mentioned that

there is no place for wheelchair access near the Weir. However, Meewasin has recently

installed a wheelchair accessible fishing pad very close to the Weir. Similarly another

Table 4. Urban angler concerns

Level of Concern

None Minor Moderate Major

Safety 4 10 7 9

Access to fishing spots 3 8 12 7

Excessive garbage on

shoreline1 2 13 14

User conflict between

other people using the

river

7 12 9 2

Rising cost of angling 9 15 4 2

Increased crowding at

fishing spots2 11 12 5

Feeling unwelcome

when fishing10 10 7 3

Health and cleanliness

of the river3 5 13 9


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angler said, I think the biggest issue for me is knowing where you are allowed to fish

and where you are not allowed to fish in the city limits. These issues are associated with

a lack of angler education.

Lastly one angler had a very insightful suggestion that is worth noting.

We need to develop a couple of ponds that are stocked with

perch that have a very low limits (5 perch daily). As a father of

two it would be nice to have a place right in the city that I could

take my kids and their friends to so they can have fun catching

perch. Martensville has one and with the size of our city and the

rate of growth we have had and is projected, I think that we

should have at least two of these ponds.

This angler has observed that there is only one fishing pond within the city and it is

located in a middle to upper class suburban area. The results noted in this section are

going to be analyzed further in the following discussion section.

Section 5.0 Discussion

Section 5.1 Demographics of the Saskatoon Urban Anglers

As the previous section outlined, the results indicated that the majority of anglers

that fish in the city are male, Caucasian, and middle aged. The average age of male

anglers in the province of Saskatchewan is

49 and the average age of female anglers

is 46 (Fisheries and Oceans Canada,

2010). Table 5 shows that urban anglers

are more male dominated than the

province as a whole.

This study also found that the

average age of urban anglers is 36 years old. This is slightly lower than anglers in the

province on a whole, which indicates that urban anglers are slightly younger than anglers

Table 5. Comparing Sk and Saskatoon

Male Female

Saskatchewan 126,452 52,786

Saskatoon urban

angler29 1

Source: Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 2010


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on a whole. Studies done in Germany and the United States also found that urban anglers

on general were younger than other anglers (Arlinghaus & Mehner, 2004; Hutt & Neal,

2010; Wobler, 2008; Hunt, 2000). It was also found that urban anglers on average have

lived in the city for 21 years and fished in the city for 11 years on average. This means

the angling population is made up of mostly longtime residents of the city.

As the previous section showed, 30% of urban anglers have a highschool degree.

Another 34% of the urban anglers have a bachelors degree. This shows no real pattern as

to the education levels of urban anglers. However there was a clear pattern when it comes

to employment and income.

The vast majority of urban anglers were employed full time and had a household

income 90,000 dollars and over. This indicates that the majority of urban anglers are

probably in the middle class. This stays true to the literature review that was done

previously.

Section 5.2 Angling characteristics

The main reasons for urban angling found in the literature review were relaxation

and escaping work. This was reflected in the study done of Saskatoon urban anglers. The

average Saskatoon city anglers motivation for fishing in the city was topped by

convenience based motivations. Saskatoon urban anglers top two motivations for fishing

in the city were because it is easier than going to the lake and cheaper than going to

the lake. They were followed by relaxation. This shows that anglers in Saskatoon fish in

the city because it is convenient and more affordable than going to the lake. This supports

the second assumption that can be made about the average urban angler in Saskatoon.

Anglers in Saskatoon predominantly drove to their fishing locations. This shows

that there are not many opportunities to fish in close vicinity to where many anglers live.

The river is the primary location for fishing. It was also found that anglers tend to fish the

river fairly evenly from spring to fall but come winter the number of anglers declines

drastically. That is to be expected. However, many people may not be educated as to

potential fishing opportunities in the city in winter. The Queen Elizabeth Power Station is

a good place to fish in winter because of the hot water discharge. However, as Table 3

shows, it is the least fished location on the river.


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It was found in the literature review that urban anglers tended to be more

committed and emotionally involved anglers and are forced to use urban angling as a way

of satisfying their need to fish (Arlinghaus & Mehner, 2004). This is supported by Figure

6, which shows that the urban anglers that participated in the survey tend to fish over 15

days in a fishing season. This is higher than the Canadian average, which is 13 days a

year (Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 2010). This supports the statement that urban anglers

tend to be the more serious anglers.

It was also noted in the literature that urban anglers tend to be less concerned with

catching and keeping fish and more interested in catch and release (Arlinghaus &

Mehner, 2004; Wobler, 2008). The average angler in Saskatoon shares these traits.

Providing food received the lowest score for motivation and enjoy the challenge

received the third highest score (see Table 2). This indicates that urban anglers in

Saskatoon are more concerned with the sport of angling rather than providing food.

The urban anglers in Saskatoon tend to congregate around the Weir. The Weir

received the highest number of urban anglers last year, according to our sample. This

congregation could be a starting place for improving access, infrastructure and safety.

The Weir was the target of many peoples concerns also. Many anglers noted safety as a

concern around the Weir. This location may be a good place to start creating a better

urban angler atmosphere because it already receives a high number of anglers.

Perhaps the most important and interesting responses to planners are the concerns

that urban anglers have. The most acute concerns that were found in the study were

excessive garbage on the shoreline and access to fishing spots. Perhaps an initiative

should be put in place to install garbage cans on the rivers edge near popular fishing

locations. Better trails down to fishing spots could also be constructed to make access

easier. Better trails to fishing spots could also promote more fishing in the winter months.

The literature review mentioned that fishing ponds are generally located in middle

class suburban neighborhoods (Arlinghaus & Mehner, 2004; Hutt & Neal, 2010).

Saskatoon shares this problem as well. The only available fishing pond is located in the

Forestry Farm. There are small ponds located in many of the neighborhoods in the city.

There is the potential to stock some of these ponds with fish and install an aeration

system. However, these are all in suburban neighborhoods as well. Ponds could be


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constructed in some lower class neighborhoods or on the outer edge of the city. The

ponds could give new opportunities to anglers who normally would not travel the longer

distance to the river or to the Forestry Farm.

Lastly, as discussed in the results section, many anglers noted the need for better

education of anglers. Some Canadian cities have established fishing programs, such as

Toronto, Edmonton, and Calgary. The city of Edmontons program is called The

Edmonton Urban Fishing Program. The programs objectives are to promote safe,

responsible fishing within the city limits. As well to increase interest, opportunity,

participation and enjoyment of fishing within the City limits. They plan to increase

cooperation and communication between stakeholders and to utilize the resources of the

various stakeholders involved to promote the program. Lastly, they wish to break down

barriers that may prevent the public from fishing such as access to knowledge and

equipment (Fairless, 2004). Saskatoon could establish a similar fishing program that

would increase angler knowledge and help to address some of the issues mentioned in the

results section. A fishing program would help enlighten new anglers on where they can

fish legally within the city. The fishing program would also help urban anglers by

providing a collective voice that could help to give anglers more recognition.

Section 6.0 Conclusions

The purpose of this paper is to provide a foundation for understanding the needs

and expectations of urban anglers in the city of Saskatoon. Even though the study had a

small sample size, it showed similar traits to both the United States and Germany. The

average Saskatoon urban angler is male, in his mid 30s, in the middle class, and

motivated by his desire to fish. This study can give planners a look into the people who

are currently using the fishing opportunities in the city, as well as the people who are not

using the opportunities. Minorities are under represented in the urban angling

community. The study also found some concerns that urban anglers share. The concerns

are that the shoreline in plagued by excessive garbage and anglers require better access to

fishing locations. It was also discovered through the survey that an urban fishing

education program might be beneficial for the city, similar to Edmonton and Toronto.


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Overall this paper has provided an initial look into the make up of the urban

angling population in the city. This paper has illuminated some problems and concerns

facing urban anglers. Hopefully planners and fishing agencies can use the information

found in this study to help them make better, more informed decisions about managing

the urban fishing population of Saskatoon. This paper could provide a good starting point

for a more in-depth survey or study in the future.


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Hunt, K. M. (2000). Understanding racial and ethnic differences in angler behavior(Doctoral dissertation, Texas A&M University).


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Hutt, C. P., & Neal, J. W. (2010). Arkansas urban resident fishing site preferences, catch

related attitudes, and satisfaction.Human Dimensions of Wildlife: An International

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Phillips, W. (2007). Fishing and the city: Saskatoon, saskatchewan. Outdoor Canada,

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fishing, and comsumptive orientaton of texas urban and rural anglers. (Master's

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