Since our update yesterday, the OFAH continues to be flooded with questions from people wanting more clarity on whether or not they can go fishing or hunting.
We get it. It isn’t black and white when it comes to outdoor activities. It can be confusing, and even seem contradictory at times. While the Government is telling people not to travel for non-essential reasons, fishing and hunting are still permitted activities in Ontario. So while you wouldn’t be fined for legal fishing or hunting activities, you could be fined if an enforcement officer (police, conservation officer, by-law officer, etc.) deems your trip to be non-essential travel.
Unfortunately, this means the OFAH cannot tell you whether or not you can go fishing and hunting, or whether or not you would be fined for doing so. It is up to each individual to make a decision of whether or not they should go fishing and hunting based on their individual circumstances.
If someone decides to go fishing or hunting, our advice is to follow all public health guidelines. Stay as local as possible, and do not make any stops to and from your fishing or hunting location. If you are in an ice hut, it must only be with members of your household. If you are outside, it must be in groups of 5 or less, and physically distanced from people outside of your household. It is also highly recommended that you wear masks around anyone outside of your household. Again, you may follow all of these public health guidelines while fishing or hunting, but it still may be deemed that your travel to do so is considered non-essential.
The OFAH will continue to keep our website updated as much as possible at www.ofah.org/covid19 and www.ofah.org/covid19/
