Thanks in large part to the non-partisan efforts and cooperation across the aisle by the Liberal and Conservative Co-Chairs of the all-party Parliamentary Outdoor Caucus (Members of Parliament Yvonne Jones and Bob Zimmer), a major legislative threat to the future of fishing was dealt a stunning defeat on Wednesday, October 5 in the House of Commons. MP Blaine Calkins chairs the Conservative Hunting & Angling Caucus and also worked to educate his fellow MPs on the issue.  By a vote of 198 to 84, Conservative and Liberal MPs stood together with Cabinet and Prime Minister Trudeau in support of our outdoor heritage activities and defeated a Bill which would have made it a federal crime to kill a fish or shoot a duck for dinner.

The Modernizing Animal Protections Act (C-246) was introduced in Parliament on February 26, 2016 by MP Nathanial Erskine-Smith (L-Beaches-East York)  with the full support of U.S. and Canadian based organizations dedicated to ending all fishing, hunting, trapping, agriculture and medical research where animals are involved. Although the Bill was promoted as necessary to ban shark finning (which is already illegal) and to stop the alleged use of dog and cat fur in garments – the true purpose was far more sinister.

No fewer than seven previous Bills with identical language and substantial fines and jail time for anyone killing an animal ‘brutally or viciously’ (even if the animal dies immediately), were repeatedly introduced in Parliament since 1999. Of course it is no coincidence the animal rights organizations promoting this legislation have a long history attempting to portray fishing, hunting and trapping to unsuspecting urbanites and media as being fundamentally brutal and vicious. For people who have never been fishing or hunting and have no first-hand knowledge of these activities, these deceptive ad campaigns come across as being believable.

CSIA worked closely with the Ontario Federation of Anglers & Hunters to inform MPs from all parties about the Trojan Horse agenda contained in C-246. Simply by letting the evidence speak for itself, the true threats which were contained in the Bill, but not revealed by MP Erskine-Smith, convinced Liberal and Conservative MPs alike that the millions of Canadians who enjoy fishing and hunting do so responsibly, humanely and should not face the threat of a criminal charge for participating in our great outdoor traditions.

To those MPs from both parties who voted against C-246, we offer our sincere thanks.  To those who voted for C-246 and in favor of imposing criminal charges for people who enjoy fishing, we urge you to spend a day on the water to learn first-hand what all anglers already know – fish are fun to catch and healthy to eat.

How your MP voted on this important legislation appears below. Take the time to contact them through the Keep Canada Fishing website interactive feature, and let them know what you think about their vote. After all, the future of fishing is in your hands.

You can view more on the official Parliament of Canada website, here and at openparliament.ca.

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