Wildlife and Fisheries

The East Kootenay has some of the richest diversity of wildlife in North America. Big game species include black & grizzly bear, elk, white-tailed and mule deer, caribou, cougar, moose, mountain goat, and mountain sheep. Abundant wildlife viewing and hunting opportunities exist for both residents and non-residents, consisting of an international clientele.

The Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks estimates that 32.5% of the East Kootenay population engages in watching, feeding, photographing or studying wildlife around their homes. It is estimated that participants in wildlife viewing in the East Kootenays spend 503,380 days in the field watching, feeding, photographing and studying wildlife each year.

Estimated expenditures by resident hunters in the East Kootenays total about $6.7 million annually and by non-resident hunters $5.1 million. It is estimated that 223 person-years of employment are supported by expenditures on wildlife related activities, including resident and non-resident hunting, direct activities, and trapping. The total economic benefit of wildlife-related activities to the East Kootenay is over $25 million. Other benefits to East Kootenays include estimated person years of employment supported by expenditures on viewing and hunting. A person year of employment is the equivalent of one person employed for a full working year. Expenditures on wildlife viewing support 105 person years of employment, resident hunter expenditures support 71 person years and non-resident hunter spending 54 person years.

There are 70 angling guides operating in the East Kootenays. There are no figures on the number of anglers they guide. There are 34 hunting guide-outfitters who guided 730 hunters last year.

Guide outfitting is an important part of the economy. The abundance of streams and lakes in the area support a vibrant sport fishery and serve as important spawning and rearing grounds for a range of species. The most frequently caught fish species are: rainbow trout, kokanee, cutthroat trout, whitefish, bass, dolly varden, brook trout, perch, and walleye. In 1997, in BC, resident anglers spent an average of $108.59/day. Other Canadian anglers spent $115.44/day and non-Canadian anglers spent $222.53/day. In the East Kootenay, 26,861 anglers spent 335,701 days angling.