Our members come from across the spectrum of how people engage with the natural world: anglers and fly fishers, hunters and trappers, wildlife guides and ecotourism operators, conservation scientists, naturalists, and outdoor recreation advocates. What unites them is not a single activity, but a single purpose – ensuring that fish, wildlife, and habitat are here for future generations.
A review of recent government actions suggests that, while there is discussion around change, challenges related to species and habitat decline persist. British Columbia continues to face historically low fish, wildlife, and habitat indicators, reflecting longstanding funding and capacity constraints, as well as gaps in existing legislation. The British Columbia Fish, Wildlife and Habitat Coalition (FWHC) was formed to support biodiversity and ecosystem health, and to promote the restoration and long-term sustainability of fish, wildlife, and habitat in British Columbia.
In recent communication to the Minister of Forests, Lands & Natural Resources, FWHBC has encouraged the provincial government to act immediately to create new overarching legislation that prioritizes ecosystem health, a critical step towards the recovery of fish, wildlife and habitat.
Decades of resource legislation have prioritized resource extraction over ecosystem health.
Wetlands and watersheds are the lifeblood of British Columbia, functioning as nature’s water filtration systems, flood barriers, and vital nurseries for countless fish and wildlife species. Unfortunately, decades of industrial development, urban encroachment, and outdated management frameworks have left BC’s critical water systems fragmented and degraded.
At the Fish, Wildlife & Habitat Coalition (FWHC), we believe that healthy, thriving fish populations begin with protected watersheds and robust habitats. Unlike organizations that focus solely on localized, hands-on field projects, our strength lies in collective advocacy and systemic change. We unite over 300,000 British Columbians and 1,000 businesses to be the loud, clear voice that fish and their habitats desperately need at the provincial level.
Here is how we work to protect, restore, and sustain fish habitats across British Columbia:
For decades, British Columbia’s fish habitats and ecosystems have been chronically underfunded. We are actively lobbying the provincial government to establish long-term, guaranteed funding structures for conservation.
The current legal framework in BC has historically prioritized resource extraction over environmental health. The Coalition is pushing the provincial government for a paradigm shift: overarching legislation that places the protection and recovery of our lands, rivers, and fish habitats above short-term industrial interests.
We fully champion the global and provincial initiative to protect 30% of British Columbia’s land and water by 2030. By securing strict protections for critical watersheds and river systems, we can permanently shield vital fish habitats from industrial development, urban sprawl, and degradation.
Effective habitat protection cannot be based on political convenience; it must be driven by data and respect. Our coalition operates under guiding principles that blend rigorous, modern ecological science with traditional ecological knowledge. In the spirit of true reconciliation, we work alongside Indigenous nations to co-manage, respect, and restore the waters that sustain us all.
British Columbia is world-renowned for its iconic wilderness and diverse wildlife, from mountain caribou and grizzly bears to wild sheep. However, our province’s ecosystems are facing a quiet crisis. Decades of underfunding, resource extraction-focused legislation, and fragmented management have pushed wildlife habitats to historic lows.
At the Fish, Wildlife & Habitat Coalition (FWHC), we know that wildlife cannot thrive without vast, contiguous, and healthy ecosystems. We do not manage individual wildlife patches; instead, we leverage the collective power of over 300,000 British Columbians and 1,000 businesses to demand systemic, high-level policy changes that protect habitats across the entire province.
Healthy wildlife populations are a direct indicator of ecosystem health.
Source: Super Natural BC
For too long, BC’s legal framework has prioritized resource extraction over environmental health. We are actively engaging with provincial leadership and MLAs in Victoria to demand new, overarching legislation. Our goal is to legally mandate that ecosystem health and biodiversity take priority over short-term industrial interests, forcing land-use planning to safeguard vital wildlife corridors and breeding grounds.
Wildlife conservation cannot rely on unpredictable, year-to-year government budgets. We are lobbying the Province to pass forward-looking legislation that ensures:
Habitat fragmentation is one of the greatest threats to BC’s wildlife. We passionately support the initiative to permanently protect 30% of British Columbia’s land and water by 2030. By locking in these protections, we ensure critical seasonal habitats—such as winter ranges for ungulates and undisturbed areas for apex predators—remain free from industrial disturbance and urban sprawl.
We believe that wildlife management policy must be guided by both modern ecological data and generations of on-the-land experience. Our coalition advocates for policies built on a blend of rigorous science and Traditional Ecological Knowledge. Furthermore, we are deeply committed to advancing true reconciliation by collaborating with Indigenous Nations to find common ground on the protection, enhancement, and sustainable utilization of wildlife and habitat.
At the Fish, Wildlife & Habitat Coalition (FWHC), we understand that the future of British Columbia’s wilderness relies on the people who love, respect, and use it. True conservation is not about locking people out of nature; it is about ensuring that our natural landscapes remain healthy enough to support sustainable use and meaningful outdoor experiences for generations to come.
Our coalition represents an unmatched, diverse alliance of over 300,000 British Columbians and more than 1,000 businesses. We unite backcountry hunters, anglers, trappers, naturalists, birdwatchers, and ecotourism operators under a single, powerful banner. By bridging the gap between recreation and conservation, we advocate for responsible access and the long-term sustainability of the outdoor activities that define our provincial identity.
We firmly believe that conservation and outdoor recreation go hand-in-hand. Our members are committed to supporting the sustainable use of BC’s robust fish and wildlife populations. Whether your passion is backcountry hunting, fly-fishing, wildlife viewing, birdwatching, or eco-tourism, we advocate for provincial policies that protect your right to responsibly experience the incredible biodiversity of our province.
You cannot have outdoor recreation without a healthy landscape to explore. Human encroachment, resource extraction, and habitat degradation are threatening the backcountry spaces we all rely on. By aggressively lobbying for overarching ecosystem legislation and the protection of 30% of BC’s lands and waters by 2030, we ensure that public lands, wildlife corridors, and backcountry spaces are preserved from destruction, keeping them intact for outdoor enthusiasts.
British Columbia’s outdoor community contributes millions of dollars to the province every year through angling, hunting, and trapping licences. Yet, our ecosystems remain chronically underfunded. We are fighting to pass strict legislation that prevents these user fees from disappearing into general government revenue. Instead, we demand that 100% of licence fees and wildlife fines be legally firewalled and funnelled directly back into the ground to restore the very habitats and species that outdoor recreationists enjoy.
As a coalition that includes major recreational bodies—such as the Outdoor Recreation Council of BC, the BC Wildlife Federation, and the Wilderness Tourism Association of BC—we are pushing the provincial government to modernize land and resource laws. We advocate for integrated, science-backed governance models that balance industrial resource extraction with the cultural, recreational, and economic values of BC’s sustainable outdoor economy.
The strength of our advocacy comes from our diversity. By bringing together traditionally separate groups under a shared respect for nature, we ensure that the provincial government hears the collective voice of BC’s outdoor community. Healthy habitats mean abundant wildlife, thriving fish populations, and a vibrant future for outdoor recreation.
We believe that abundant fish and wildlife are the ultimate indicator of British Columbia’s ecological health. When our wild species thrive, our communities thrive. However, after decades of underfunding, legislative gaps, and resource extraction taking precedence over ecosystem health, BC’s natural values are facing critical lows.
We are here to change that trajectory by building a sustainable future for our province’s invaluable ecosystems.
True sustainability requires looking at the big picture. We advocate for a fundamental shift in how British Columbia manages its natural resources. Our coalition actively lobbies provincial leadership to introduce overarching legislation that puts ecosystem health first, moving away from short-term extraction and toward long-term ecological integrity. We believe that all native species have a right to abundant, self-sustaining populations.
Conservation cannot succeed on a volunteer basis or temporary grants alone. One of our primary advocacy pillars is demanding legislated, dedicated, and long-term funding for BC’s fish, wildlife, and habitat. We are actively urging the Province to:
Sustainability cannot be achieved in a silo. Our strength lies in our diversity—bringing together an unprecedented alliance of over 273,000 British Columbians and 900 businesses, including naturalists, ecotourism operators, hunters, anglers, guides, and environmental organizations.
To guide our path forward, our advocacy is firmly rooted in two core strengths:
Together, we are giving a unified, powerful voice to the wild spaces and species that cannot speak for themselves.
