By Times Chronicle Staff

Recreational freshwater anglers will soon be able to buy BC freshwater fishing licences through the same platform as hunting licenses according to the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship.

Starting in fall 2025 fishing licences will be available for purchase on the Wildlife Information and Licensing Data system (WILD), bringing fishing and hunting licensing into one online platform.

People who are not already registered in the WILD system can create a profile and obtain a free Fish and Wildlife ID (FWID) this fall in preparation for the 2026–27 licence year. An FWID will be needed to purchase a freshwater fishing licence when sales open in WILD in spring 2026.

Currently, people access WILD using a Basic BCeID and staring this fall, BC residents and people who reside in Canada outside of BC will also have the option to log in using their BC Services Card account. People who do not reside in Canada will need to use or create a Basic BCeID to access and obtain an FWID online in WILD.

The aim is to create a “secure and convenient” method that automates identity and residency verification, which will reduce administrative workload and wait times and enhance the user experience, the Ministry said.

It added that since the launch of WILD in 2016 public access to hunting applications and authorizations has increased alongside faster processing. Over the past five years, roughly 93 per cent of all limited entry hunting applications and 30 per cent of all hunting licences were purchased online through WILD.

Quick facts:

  • Licence fees for freshwater fishing licences help fund research, conservation and education programs, improve angler access and the provincial stocking program through the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC (gofishbc.com/);
  • Conservation surcharge fees provide grants for fish conservation projects through the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation (hctf.ca/);
  • A Fish and Wildlife ID (FWID) is mandatory and will provide access to licences for approximately 350,000 anglers who fish in BC each year;
  • Anglers can register for their FWID online through WILD or in person at retailers.