Meet the 2025/2026 Salmon Conservation Stamp Winner!
The Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF) is pleased to announce Mark Hobson as the winner of the 2025/2026 Salmon Conservation Stamp Competition. His artwork, titled Red October, was selected from 20 entries received this year.
The image (shown below) will be featured on the 2025-26 Salmon Conservation Stamp, a required purchase for anglers to acquire a tidal waters license. Every year, PSF leverages approximately $1.5 M in annual stamp revenue with additional funds from generous donors to support more than 150 salmon conservation projects.
Red October by Mark Hobson
Mark Hobson, a professional artist based in Tofino, B.C., has been painting the wildlife and landscapes of the Pacific coast for over thirty years. A former biologist and science teacher, Hobson is well-known for his vivid depictions of the region’s natural beauty. His winning entry depicts a colourful scene of spawning sockeye salmon and marks Hobson’s fifth win in the Salmon Conservation Stamp Competition.
A passionate advocate for wilderness preservation, Hobson has donated numerous paintings to preserve natural environments. “I am thrilled to be honoured with a first place from the Pacific Salmon Foundation. The organization does excellent work in restoring and maintaining salmon populations all over B.C.,” says Hobson.
The artist shared that the inspiration for Red October came from snorkelling with salmon in the Taylor River near Port Alberni. “It feels good to be contributing to this ongoing work by celebrating the beauty of a group of spawning sockeye.”
PSF has stewarded funds from the Salmon Conservation Stamp on behalf of Fisheries and Oceans Canada since 1994. Each year, hundreds of thousands of anglers contribute to salmon conservation by purchasing the $6.89 Salmon Stamp, which is required to retain any species of Pacific salmon. Learn more about the salmon enhancement, research, and restoration projects recreational fishers support.
Through its Community Salmon Program, PSF has directed $29 million to more than 3,300 community- and Indigenous-led projects across BC and the Yukon, with a total value of roughly $202 million.
An annual Salmon Conservation Stamp, valid between April 1 and March 31 of each fishing season, can be purchased online or through an Independent Access Provider.
PSF warmly thanks each of the 20 artists who’ve submitted an entry to this year’s Salmon Stamp Competition. Congratulations to our second and third-place winners:
- Second Place: “The Show-Off” by Curtis Atwater
- Third Place: “Spawning Trouble” by Broderick Crawford
Swipe through the gallery below to explore all the art pieces submitted.
