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NWT - A tighter job market resulted in more people trapping this year in the territory, according to a government official.

Across the territory the number of active trappers rose 19 per cent from 626 last year to 742 this year, said Francois Russouw, who works in fur marketing with the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

Mark Downey, left, the CEO of Fur Harvesters Auction Inc. watches as a broker for a Japanese firm inspects marten pelts from the NWT during an auction in Seattle. - photo courtesy of Francois Russouw

Anyone who received an advance on a pelt this year through the government's Genuine Mackenzie Valley Furs Program is classified as an active trapper.

The highest increase in trappers was in the Sahtu where numbers rose 50 per cent from 109 to 163. The Deh Cho saw a 17 per cent increase from 105 to 123.

Russouw attributes the increase in trappers to the economic slowdown that's gripped the world economy.

"There're less jobs in the wage economy and it's a nice way to earn an income," he said.

The traditional economy balances the wage economy, said Russouw. People can still choose to go out and trap to supplement their income.

Many trappers had a good season on their traplines. Fur production of both marten and lynx increased by more than just the larger number of trappers can account for, he said.

Almost 15,000 marten pelts have been produced so far. Over the past 50 years the average has been 13,000 marten pelts.

In the first two sales this year the NWT sold a total of 22,759 pelts through the Genuine Mackenzie Valley Furs Program for a total of $815,767. The first sale was a small one in January followed by a large sale in March. The results for the third sale, held on May 25, haven't been released yet.

The March and May sales are held in Seattle, Washington, in conjunction with the Seattle Fur Exchange, which is a sale for ranch fur. The sales allow the NWT to take advantage of up 250 buyers from across the world that gather there, said Russouw. NWT trappers were the top performers at the March sale but the global economic slowdown did have an effect on prices.

There's a demand for the fur but finances and moneylenders to back the demand aren't available, he said. This was a particularly big problem for Russia, which is a large consumer of fur.

"Whatever happens in the world we feel the effects here," said Russouw because fur is an internationally traded commodity.

Of the 12,790 NWT marten pelts offered at the auction 9,220 sold for an average price of $62 each. In 2008, the price of marten averaged $91 per pelt over the year although it varied by sale, Russouw said.

More than half of the 1,053 NWT lynx pelts at the sale sold at an average price of $106. Last year's overall average was $236.

Wolf and wolverine pelts at the March sale averaged $180 and $394, respectively. The final sale of the season will take place on June 18 where the remainder of the stock will be cleared. The overall results for the year should be available in July, Russouw said.

Many trappers are waiting for the results from the last two sales to see how they did this year, said Jonas Antoine, a harvester from Fort Simpson.

When asked about the size of this year's marten and lynx population, Antoine said that it varies depending on where people have their traplines.

"My part of the country wasn't as good as I expected. I was happy though," he said.

Antoine agreed that more people trapped this year but had a different theory to explain the increase.

"I think there were more people out this year because of the high prices last year, not for the enjoyment," Antoine said.