International Falls Journal - Minnesota Delegation Seeks Fishing Guide Fee Exemption

News Article

By Laurel Beager

A new fee implemented on fishing guides this season has caught the attention of Minnesota's federal lawmakers.

U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken, and Reps. Collin Peterson, Betty McCollum, John Kline, Keith Ellison, Tim Walz, Erik Paulsen, Rick Nolan and Tom Emmer are urging Canadian officials to exempt U.S. fishing guides from a $230 work permit, known as a employer compliance fee, to fish in Canadian waters.

The fee is being unfairly placed on U.S. border lake fishing guides who are small in number and do not represent a threat to Canadian labor markets, said a letter, led by Rep. Peterson, to Canadian Ambassador Gary Doer, Consul General Jamshed Merchant and Senior Representative to the United States Rob Merrifield.

The lawmakers said the fee goes against the long-standing tradition of cooperation between the United States and Canada to encourage these types of guides and its impact could negatively impact outdoor tourism activities in the region.

The notice of the new fee was given in February 2015, months before the current fishing season began, giving impacted parties little time to prepare for the additional expense, said the lawmakers in the letter.

"The impact of this fee extends beyond fishing guides due to their strong connection with resort owners who rely on outdoor tourism as part of their business model," said the letter.

The Minnesota Congressional Delegation was joined in their request by members of the North Dakota congressional delegation.

Long-time Rainy Lake guide Mike Williams said the new fee charged to U.S. fishing guides this spring caught local guides by surprise.

"We have paid the original $150 for years now and assumed that would continue on," he said. "Naturally we are not happy with the additional fee, but paid it to have the right to guide fishermen in Ontario, Canada waters."

Williams said any effort to have the additional fee eliminated is appreciated by all U.S. based guides.

"Our season is short and it's tough enough to make it without unexpected expenses," he said.

Due to the late notification period, the lawmakers ask for an exemption in the current year for fishing guides being assessed this fee.

Self-employed fishing guides working on lakes which straddle the U.S.-Canada border are allowed an exemption from Canada's Labour Market Impact Assessment.

"This exemption is based upon the principle that Canadian fishing guides are accorded a similar privilege to work on the U.S. side of a border lake," said the letter. "We write to urge that this same principle of mutual benefit should be applied in the new fee structure."

The Employer Compliance Fee is assessed cross-industry with the intent of funding employer compliance measures. While the lawmakers said they understand the goal of the new policy is to address broader immigration related concerns, U.S. border lake fishing guides are not a threat to Canadian labor markets.

"We also hope to continue the dialogue on how these guides can be formally excluded from this fee assessment in the future, given their unique place in the labor market," concluded the letter.

Koochiching County Commissioner Rob Ecklund helped to bring the issue to the attention of the federal delegation after several local guides contacted members of the county board with their frustration on the new ruling and fee.

"I applaud the efforts of our entire Minnesota delegation on this answer to our local fishing guides concerns," he said. "We need to keep a good working relationship with our good friends in Canada, but when we have a joint resource we need to make sure that all economic interests are taken care of."

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