Fur prices and demand increasing
Doug Ashbury
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Jan 08/01) - Numbers from the season's first fur sale in the NWT are encouraging.
Marten, which makes up about 60 per cent of NWT fur harvested by value, fetched 20 per cent higher prices at the Fur Harvesters Auction Inc.'s December sale in North Bay, Ont.
About 80 per cent of the Western Arctic's fur is sold through the North Bay based Fur Harvesters Auction Inc.
The average price was $48.55 with top pelt price at $66.15. Under a territorial government pricing program, trappers are guaranteed $70 for a prime marten pelt.
Northern fur, especially marten, is among the best in the world.
Besides higher prices, the demand is great, said Mark Downey, president of Fur Harvesters Auction Inc.
Fur buyers bought 99 per cent of the 8,239 marten pelts offered at last month's sale.
Downey, who participated in fur grading and preparation workshops in last month in Yellowknife, says the December sale is significant because it sets the tone for future sales.
"Trappers depend on our December sale," he said. "We have a big auction in February in Seattle. NWT fur will be at that sale."
Similar workshops are planned for Hay River, Fort Resolution and Fort Smith.
Marketing furs
To promote NWT wild fur, the Government of the Northwest Territories launched its Genuine Mackenzie Valley Furs marketing program two years ago.
The program is designed to increase the value of fur by marketing it as an exclusive collection.
Downey said the program serves as a working model, but the product must be readily available. For marten, 7,000 to 8,000 pelts are needed.
"People here produce that," he said.
Over the 1999-2000 season, 37,126 NWT pelts were sold for a total value of $842,000. About 1,004 people trapped, according to the second annual Northern Harvester newsletter.
The number of marten harvested, which is the NWT trapper's bread and butter, is up by 10,695 pelts compared to the previous year.
Despite the encouraging numbers, the value of the NWT fur harvest still has a long way to go before it achieves levels reached 10 to 15 years ago. In 1987-88, the fur industry was worth $5.5 million in the NWT.
Fred Sangris, who participated in the Yellowknife workshop in last month, said since the market crashed in 1990, the prices have been increasing in some areas.
Marten, as well as wolverine and wolf pelts are showing price improvements, he said.
"The NWT provides the market with one of the finest fur in the world. The trapper of the NWT provides that," said Sangris, who has trapped for 25 years and is currently doing it part time.
But many experienced trappers have retired while some have gone into mining, he added.
"There are still trappers who don't want to be in mining, who want to be on the land. We want to provide them with what's available and work with them on, humane trapping, pelt preparation and marketing to get better prices."
"I think we can see this as the beginning of a strong period for fur. Prices are definitely coming back," said Alan Herscovici, executive vice-president of the Fur Council of Canada.
