Reeling in annual economic benefits

If you’re looking for Shu-Mon Mok outside of work, there’s a good chance he’s gone fishing.

The Winnipeg resident has had a passion for the pastime ever since he cast his first line at age 12.

“I just saw kids doing it and wanted to do it,” Mok said. “(That) kicked off a very lifelong crazy obsession.”

The 30-year-old business analyst is an avid participant in the Manitoba Master Angler program. Administered by Travel Manitoba, the program formally recognizes trophy fish caught within the province.

This year marks 65 years since Travel Manitoba assumed responsibility for the program, which was started in 1958 by the Neepawa Game and Fish Association.

The Crown corporation advertises it as the oldest and most established angler recognition program in North America and notes it links to the province’s tourism industry and world-class angling opportunities.

“It’s known as an amazing program worldwide,” said Josh McFaddin, a fishing consultant with Travel Manitoba.

Participants submit a photo of their catch through the Master Angler app and, once their submission is verified, receive a certificate and a pin celebrating their achievement.

There are 30 qualifying species. Because certain species are only found in certain parts of Manitoba, the program can motivate Manitobans and tourists alike to explore the province, officials said.

That’s the case for Mok. From Twin Lake in the Duck Mountains to Wasp Lake in the Whiteshell to Clearwater Lake northeast of The Pas, fishing has taken him all over Manitoba.

“It’s the only reason I travel this entire province — just trying to catch these weird fish,” he said.

Recreational fishing generates approximately $600 million in annual economic benefits in the province, per Travel Manitoba.

The Master Angler program is important because it promotes tourism and the diversity of local fisheries, said Don Lamont, executive director of the Manitoba Lodges and Outfitters Association.

“Many of our lodges … promote the program,” Lamont said. “It’s a selling feature.”

The program is appealing, he added, because it promotes accomplishment and recognition.

“People love to get recognized,” said Lamont, who has been involved with recreational fishing in the province since 1982.

“I think it’s by far the most successful program of its kind anywhere in the world.”

The program is also meant to promote conservation. In 1991, 65 per cent of registered entries were released back into the water, according to Travel Manitoba. Today, that number has grown to 92 per cent.

The catch-and-release badge, awarded to those who choose to release a qualifying fish, promotes this conservation ethic.

“Taking care of the resource is the most important part because this (program) wouldn’t exist if people were mistreating the resources,” McFaddin said.

In 2015, the Master Angler database had documented more than 250,000 trophy fish. Today, that number has grown to more than 481,000 registered entries. The program maintains an annual average of 10,000 entries.

Mok said he’s slowed down with his Master Angler pursuits in recent years, but one fish he hopes to catch someday is an Arctic grayling — a species in the salmon family found in the far reaches of northern Manitoba.

As much as he’s accomplished during 18 years of fishing, Mok said he still has a lot to learn.

“The sport humbles you all the time,” he said. “You just try to figure out how you can improve your game next time.”

aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca