Ontario’s fisheries contribute substantially to Ontario’s economy, with recreational and commercial fishing valued at more than $2.5 billion annually:

• 41,000 person years of employment.

• More than 1.2 million residents and non-resident anglers, contributing $2.2 billion annually to the Ontario economy.

• A driving force for Ontario’s tourism industry and a key economic component in many communities, particularly in Northern Ontario, with 1600 licensed tourist operators generating hundreds of millions of dollars in revenues annually.

• More than 500 active commercial fishing licences, contributing more than $230 million dollars to the Ontario economy.

• 1200 commercial bait fishing licences are issued annually, with $17 million in direct sales of live bait.

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