Canada Proposes Increased Fees for Duck Stamps, Migratory Bird Permits
By Kyle Wintersteen, Managing Editor
Under a proposal by the Canadian Wildlife Service, the price of the Migratory Game Bird Hunting Permit and Canadian Wildlife Habitat Conservation Stamp — both of which are required to hunt waterfowl in Canada — would increase to a combined $28 by 2021. The permit and stamp each currently cost $8.50, or $17 total.
Stamp sale proceeds are used by Wildlife Habitat Canada to conserve habitat, promote the conservation contributions of waterfowl hunters and encourage waterfowl hunting participation. Permit revenues have recently been allocated directly to the CWS for core programming, which includes waterfowl and hunter surveys, regulation reviews and other key functions that enable hunting seasons across the country. Additional permit revenues will be used to manage the take of migratory game birds and ensure healthy populations.
While there’s always a concern about raising fees for hunting, Delta Waterfowl supports increasing the cost of the Canadian Duck Stamp and Permit.
“Raising the price of the duck stamp would directly enhance waterfowl conservation in Canada,” said Jim Fisher, director of conservation policy for Delta Waterfowl. “Delta also supports the permit increase, as those revenues will be spent on core CWS waterfowl monitoring and licensing programs that benefit duck hunters.”
If enacted, the stamp and permit would increase by $4 ($2 each) for the 2019-2020 season, another $4 for the 2020-2021 season, and an added $3 for the 2021-2022 season. It would mark the first increases since 1998.
The CWS says the increases are necessary to keep pace with rising costs. Accounting for inflation estimates, the $8.50 stamp in 1991 is the equivalent of $14.47 in 2021, while the $8.50 permit in 1998 is the equivalent of $13.19 in 2021.
“There’s been an erosion of waterfowl program delivery due to tightening budgets,” Fisher said. “Certainly, that concerns us.”
The proposal includes an additional $5 fee for obtaining a physical permit at a vendor rather than buying the permit online, and a $2 fee for requesting a physical stamp after purchasing a permit online.
“We do have reservations regarding the $5 additional fee,” Fisher said. “Older hunters and those in remote areas without internet access shouldn’t be charged a higher rate.”
Since 1985, stamp sales have generated more than $50 million in support of more than 1,500 conservation projects funded by WHC grants — including Delta Waterfowl’s Hunter Education and Recruitment Initiative and maintenance of Hen Houses in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
A public comment period on the proposed stamp/permit increases is open until March 21. Click here to use Delta’s Action Alert program to provide your feedback on the proposal to Environment and Climate Change Canada.
We should not be paying the extra cost of $5.00
that is imposed. Just because we prefer to phone it in.
As a Canadian duck hunter and a member of Delta waterfowl . I do not support in any way the increasing of our licenses .
The cost of a foreign resident license is already way too expensive. If they increase the cost of the permit and stamp they should decrease the cost of the license. If they are looking for more money they should lower the cost of the license and more people would actually buy one. More foreign residents would come into the country and spend money. That would benefit everyone.
This is a good thing (except for the $5 fee for purchasing at a vendor)…I wonder how many hunters out there actually voluntarily contribute financially to non-profit organizations that support what we love to do…I’d bet the number is very low. This is a way to ensure that those using the resource support the cause. I support this, and frankly I’d like to see it up by another $10! Providing funds are directly contributed to habitat projects. Those of you that are simply complaining about the price, please educate yourselves by looking into what the Wildlife Habitat Fund actually supports on the ground.
I would support a increase only under the condition that we can purchase a waterfowl license where we please, ( postal service) , without having to pay a $5. extra TAX . Otherwise I have no interest whatsoever in a increase for a waterfowl license !
I think that a small increase would be ok but not the extra service fees. I would like to see the manufactures that benefit from waterfowl hunting shoulder some of the cost not just the hunter always footing the bill. I think the Climate Change Canada could also keep their fingers out of the pot.
As an American hunter and DFW member that enjoys hunting in Canada, I don’t mind the cost increase for the license. I think the biggest disservice is not having a cost increase in 20 years and now proposing one 3 years in a row is the biggest error in judgment and planning on their part. I would rather pay an extra $5 now for each and then in 2-3 years get hit with the $2 increase. Certainly another way to look at it is if you have been enjoying the locked in pricing for hunting in Canada for the past 20 years, be thankful for that. No other place in my world do I get pricing locked in like that.
However, I am on the bandwagon that buying a license in person costing an additional $5 is out of line, penalizing those for whatever their personal reason, choose to purchase in person.