SASKATOON -- Hunting and fishing outfitters that would be gearing up for another season in Saskatchewan are instead facing difficult decisions and financial losses because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 “There’s a percentage of the sector that’s already made the decision that they won’t be open in 2020,” said Roy Anderson, CEO of the Saskatchewan Commission of Professional Outfitters.

The closure of the Canada-U.S. border is what’s causing the bulk of the troubles for outfitters.

“The impact has been severe, as a large majority of outfitting business here in Saskatchewan is what we call export business,” said Anderson. “The clients come from the United States, predominantly.”

Trevor Montgomery co-owns Tazin Lake Lodge in northwestern Saskatchewan, and the business depends on anglers flying in to fish.

“We can see the effects already,” he said. “Less clients coming, less people interested. Things are still happening, just a much, much slower pace just because people aren’t sure.”

The operation requires buying and transporting supplies in months before the season begins, creating a hefty financial risk.

“We’re fly-in only, so everything comes in on airplanes, and it’s a huge cost to that,” said Montgomery. “So it really makes you look at it and go ‘Hmm, is it worthwhile to open for half the timeframe and spend the same dollars?’”

Keith Antonichuk, who owns Antonichuk Outfitters in Preeceville is facing a similar issue, with fewer hunters putting down deposits, and others asking for deposits back.

“We’re losing 40 per cent of our entire yearly income,” he said, adding that the spring bear hunting season should have already begun, and usually wraps up in the second week of June.

“I pre-buy all my bear bait back in February, and that comes up out of the States, which did come across the border,” he said. “So I’m sitting on over $8,000 of bear bait.”

According to Anderson, outfitters have not received any support funding from the government.

“Our immediate concern is to try to find relief for them, whether it’s through deferral or removal of fees and licences that they have to pay this year, or the fact that they won’t be open,” he said. “And then the second wave will be around what we push for in terms of providing support to outfitters for business recovery. Reputation management, rebuilding relationships with clients, these sorts of things that all have to happen in the fall.”

Montgomery says he’s optimistic that his business will survive this season, but can’t say the same thing for every outfitting business in Saskatchewan.

“Unless there’s some form of a bailout or some kind of help to the industry, it’s going to see catastrophic losses of outfitters over the next short period of time.”