Saskatchewan hunting and angling outfitters are facing cancelled or shortened seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with no chance to financially recover in 2020.
According to the Saskatchewan Commission of Professional Outfitters (SCPO), up to one-third of the province’s 625 licensed outfitters operate in the spring, while the summer angling sector makes up 40 per cent of the industry. “You can see that having zero revenue in a year is going to have a huge impact on the families and the small businesses, and the reality of that is not in question anymore,” said Roy Anderson, SCPO acting CEO.
Anderson said SCPO polling has found up to 80 per cent of the province’s outfitters are at “high risk” of not operating in 2020.