Should Alberta Bring Back the Ban on Barbed Fishing Hooks?

Official title: Barbless hooks engagement

Closed Policy & Studies Environment & Climate Natural Resources
Alberta asked anglers whether barbed fishing hooks should be banned again. The province had a ban from 2004 to 2011, but a federal regulatory change accidentally removed it. Now anglers can choose for themselves. The government surveyed Albertans in early 2017 to decide what to do next.

Why This Matters

Fish with you on Alberta's lakes and rivers? This affects what tackle you can use. Barbless hooks are easier to remove and cause less harm to fish—important if you practice catch-and-release. But some anglers prefer barbed hooks because fish are less likely to escape.

What Could Change

Alberta could reinstate a province-wide ban on barbed hooks, ban them only in certain waters with special management needs, or keep the current system where anglers choose. The survey showed Albertans were split—46% wanted personal choice, 34% wanted a full ban, and 20% wanted partial restrictions.

Key Issues

  • Should barbed hooks be banned in all Alberta waters?
  • Should barbed hooks only be banned in waters with special management objectives?
  • Should anglers be free to choose whether to use barbed or barbless hooks?

How to Participate

  1. This consultation is now closed. The survey ran from January 11 to February 14, 2017. Results were released on March 21, 2017.

What Happened

The survey received mixed results: 46.1% of respondents preferred leaving the choice to individual anglers, 34.2% preferred banning barbed hooks in all waters, and 19.7% preferred banning them only in waters with special management objectives. The government indicated options are being evaluated based on these results.