Future of Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation is uncertain in the NWT
Schumann says future in question in light of Manitoba possibly pulling out of corporation
Paul Bickford
Northern News Services
Tuesday, June 13, 2017
HAY RIVER
The future - or possibly the lack thereof - of the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation in the NWT was raised in the legislative assembly on May 31.
Wally Schumann: minister says not yet time to walk away from discussions with the federal government on the role of the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation. - NNSL file photo
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Hay River North MLA R.J. Simpson initiated the discussion with a member's statement criticizing the role of the corporation in Hay River.
Simpson noted that all fish caught in the NWT and sold across the border must go through the federal Crown corporation.
"When the corporation was established nearly 50 years ago, it was done so with the best of intentions," he said. "However, this month's Auditor General report confirmed what has been common knowledge in Hay River for decades: that Freshwater is not serving the best interests of our fishermen. The AG found many weaknesses, significant deficiencies, and outright failures in the oversight, management and operation of the corporation."
These conclusions are no surprise to anyone familiar with the commercial fishing industry, he added. "The only surprise is that things have actually gotten worse since the AG released a similar report in 2010."
Simpson said the core purpose of the corporation is to maximize returns for fishers.
"However, it is the fishermen who have borne the fiscal costs of Freshwater's ineptitude," he said.
Simpson said a "physical manifestation" of the corporation's failings is its Hay River fish plant, which has been demoted to a receiving plant.
"Fish are now trucked from Hay River to Winnipeg to be processed," he noted.
Simpson pointed out that Manitoba is set to withdraw from the corporation this year, meaning only NWT fishers will be obliged to sell their fish to Freshwater.
The MLA said the NWT is hitching its wagon to a dying horse with the corporation.
Later on May 31, Simpson asked the Infrastructure and Industry, Tourism and Investment Minister Wally Schumann about his discussions with Freshwater about possibly getting the Hay River fish plant either rebuilt or refurbished, or whether the GNWT would build one.
Schumann noted the corporation's future is uncertain with the situation in Manitoba.
"We have been working with Freshwater to this point, and it has been very challenging, and with the situation that has arisen around the Manitoba thing, it has put a lot of things into question," he said, noting he has discussed a "range of opportunities" with the federal minister of Fisheries and Oceans in light of Manitoba possibly pulling out.
Simpson asked Schumann at what point would the territorial government be prepared to pull away from Freshwater and just build a fish plant itself.
"I am not sure if this is the time to be walking away from the table, just yet, because this is going to take a lot of resources to get this figured out and how to build something and get the processes and money in place to be able to build something like this," Schumann responded, adding it is hoped there will be some solution between the GNWT and the federal government in the near future.
