Great Slave fish harvest increases
Corporation distributes $26.8 million to fishers across the country
Lyndsay Herman
Northern News Services
Published Monday, December 2, 2013
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
Fishers in the NWT increased their delivery volume to the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation this year, while other jurisdictions in the country are in decline, according to the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation.
The Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation distributed $26.8 million in returns to 2,000 fishers. - NNSL file photo |
The Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation, which buys, processes and sells all freshwater fish caught for commercial sale in Manitoba, Alberta, and the NWT, announced on Nov. 28 overall fish volume has declined by three million kilograms since 2009.
"Some of our regional fisheries are unable to fish the volume expected for various reasons," stated president and chief executive officer of the corporation in a news release on the announcement. "While other fisheries, there were successes - Great Slave Lake and Saskatchewan both increased deliveries during the season."
This year, the corporation distributed $26.8 million in returns to its approximately 2000 fishers, including an initial payment totalling $24.8 million.
That total is down just over 10 per cent from 2011/12 ,when returns equalled $27.8 million.
In 2012/13, there were 27 fishers in the NWT, of which eight had non-resident licences, according to the corporation.
The corporation makes an initial payment to fishers for the fish they supply based on an estimated market value. The price may change during the year, if markets change or the corporation sees a benefit to encouraging a greater harvest of a certain kind of fish. At the end of the year, a portion of profits is distributed among participating fishers ,based on the type and volume of fish they contributed, and a portion of profit is allocated to long-term reinvestment in the corporation. The funds allocated to reinvestment is audited annually by the Auditor General of Canada.
This year was particularly significant for the NWT Fisherman's Federation, which is based in Hay River, because the federation took over some of the processing responsibilities the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation would contract out.
Burt Buckley Sr., a board member with the federation, told News/North in August the federation hopes to build a new plant in the near future to further expand the capacity of the NWT commercial fishing industry.
The current plant was built in 1970 and has high operating costs. A new plant would also likely allow for a greater volume of fish to be processed.
The Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation has indicated support for the Federation and the Town of Hay River in the development of a new plant.
