Sarah Holland
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 22/01) - It's been a banner year for the fishing industry, with both fishers and distributors reaping the benefits.

Dennis Hoover, left, and Jason Schmidt prepare fish for shipping at the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation's Hay River plant. The company recorded record sales of $61.9 million during fiscal 2000/2001. - NNSL file photo

The Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation announced record sales of $61.9 million for the 2000-01 fiscal year, which ended April 30. This compares with sales of $54.9 million for the previous year.

The company's net income was $6.8 million on total sales, which were up 13 per cent from the previous year. Fishers received record payments totalling $40.6 million.

"Increased pickerel deliveries, combined with strong volumes and prices for whitefish, were key factors generating record sales," corporation chair Jim Bear said in a press release.

Great Slave fish are collected at three stations on the shores of the lake: the Hay River plant, the Moraine Bay station and the Wool Bay Station.

Initial payments to NWT fishers were up this past year to $1.4 million due to higher whitefish deliveries at higher prices, according to the corporation's fourth-quarter report. In contrast, a year-long decline of northern pike deliveries continued. NWT fishers received slightly higher initial payments and lower overall deliveries.

The total round weight of fish hauled from the NWT was 1.2 million kilograms.

Pickerel, mullet and a small variety of other fish are also caught in Great Slave Lake. A total of 54 fishers and 20 crews fish Great Slave Lake commercially.

The FFMC, based in Winnipeg, was established in 1969 as a federal Crown corporation working with participating Western territories and provinces.