Annual Summary of Fish Harvesting Activities (1997-1998)

Foreword

The Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation (FFMC) and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Central and Arctic Region (DFO) have, for more than thirty years, co-operated in the development and maintenance of a commercial fisheries database. The harvest data are developed from the FFMC’s purchase ticket, which records the catch and payment for every sales transaction between individual harvesters and the FFMC. The database provides comprehensive information on the commercial fishery (e.g. fish harvesters, lakes, delivery points, species, weeks, months, seasons of fishing, etc.). This data has been used by the FFMC, DFO, and the fisheries management agencies of the participating provinces and territory in the FFMC’s area of operation. Data is also provided on request to other federal, provincial or territorial agencies, universities, and others interested in fisheries. The participating jurisdictions include Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, the Northwest Territories, and select parts of the northwest region of Ontario.

This report focuses on commercial freshwater fish harvesting activity in FFMC participating jurisdictions from May 1, 1997 to April 30, 1998. The period covers two distinct fishing seasons, the open water, summer fishery from May through October and the on ice, winter fishery from November through April. Marketing and historical trend information is included.

Section 1 provides harvesting and marketing data. Section 2 provides comparative analyses of each FFMC participating jurisdiction. Sections 3 through 6 provide similar analyses for each FFMC participating jurisdiction. Northwestern Ontario has been excluded from this section in consideration of the low percentage share of the province in freshwater fisheries. However, Northwestern Ontario has been included in Section 1 providing data by jurisdiction.

Persons interested in obtaining more information on commercial freshwater fisheries in FFMC participating jurisdictions may contact:

Policy and Economics Branch
Central & Arctic Region
Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Freshwater Institute
501 University Crescent
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R3T 2N6

Sheri Andres - (204) 984-5518

Highlights

Section 1: Western Canadian Freshwater Fisheries Summary

• 16,724 metric tonnes (t) of fish were harvested. Landings are down by 11.3% from 1996-97.
• The landed and market values of the harvest were $22.0 million and $34.0 million, respectively.
• Of the total landings of 16,724t, whitefish accounts for 32.8%, down from 33.8% in 1996-97, mullet accounts for 21.7% down from 24.0% in 1996-97, pickerel accounts for 16.6%, up from 13.8% in 1996-97, northern pike accounts for 14.4% up from 12.5% in 1996-97, and sauger accounts for 5.8%, a percentage same as that of 1996-97.
• Of the major species, landings for whitefish, mullet, lake trout, and sauger are up while those of mullet, pickerel, and northern pike are down in 1997-98 compared to the previous year.
• Of the total landings of 16,724t, Lake Winnipeg (3,907t) accounted for the largest volume distantly followed by Lake Manitoba (1,602t), Lake Winnipegosis (1,458t), and Great Slave (1,201t).
• The FFMC purchased catch from 2,569 self-employed harvesters in 1997-98 compared to 2,712 in 1996-97, down by 5.3%. The increase in the number of self-employed harvesters in the landings range $0 - $10,000 is accounted for most of the fall.

Section 2: Analysis by Jurisdiction

• Manitoba harvesters caught 62.6% of the total harvest and received 68.9% of the landed value which can be attributed to the high value of pickerel. Saskatchewan harvesters caught 19.3% of the harvest and received 16.8% of the landed value. Alberta caught 10.6% and received 8.6%. Northwest Territories caught 7.5% and received 5.7%.
• Of the total 2,550 harvesters, Manitoba has 1,762 (69.1%), Saskatchewan has 528 (20.7%), Alberta has 183 (7.2%) and Northwest Territories has 77 (3.0%).

Alberta:

• 1,764t of fish were harvested. Landings are up by 2.7% from 1996-97.
• Of the major species, except northern pike, landings for all species are up from the previous year. Whitefish landings, which accounts for 84.8% of provincial landings, is up by 4.3%.
• The landed and market values of the harvest are $1.9 million and $3.2 million, respectively. Total landed value is up by 13.9% from 1996-97.
• Lesser Slave Lake accounted for the largest volume (45.4%) followed by Utikuma Lake (17.4%).
• There were 183 self-employed harvesters in 1997-98 down from 191 (4.2%) in 1996-97. The decrease was caused by the fall in summer season harvesters.
• The number of self-employed summer season harvesters is down by 24.1% in 1997-98 while the number of self-employed winter season harvesters is down by 2.6%. The number of self-employed harvesters in both seasons is down by 5.0%.

Saskatchewan:

• 3,215t of fish were harvested. Landings are down by 11.1% from 1996-97.
• Except for whitefish and pickerel, landings for all major species are down in 1997-98. Whitefish accounts for 32.2% of the total harvests, up from 28.5% in 1996-97, followed by mullet at 24.3%, down from 30.3% in 1996-97.
• The landed and market values of the harvest are $3.7 million and $5.7 million, respectively. The total landed value is up by 3.4% in 1997-98.
• Dora accounted for the largest volume (8.5% of 3,215t) closely followed by Reindeer (8.2% of 3,215t) and Ile-a-la Crosse (8.1% of 3,215t).
• The number of self-employed harvesters is down from 558 in 1996-97 to 528 in 1997-98. The number of self-employed summer and winter seasons’ harvesters are down by 4.2% and 7.7% in 1997-98, respectively. The number of self-employed harvesters who worked both summer and winter is up by 2.2%.

Manitoba:

• 10,439t of fish were harvested. Landings are up by 2.6% from 1996-97.
• Expect for pickerel and northern pike, which account for 35.3% of the total harvests, landings are down for all other major species from 1996-97. Pickerel landings are up by 20.3% in 1997-98, and mullet landings, which accounts for 27.1%, are down by 16.8% in 1997-98.
• The landed and market values of the harvest are $15.0 million and $22.8 million, respectively. Total landed value is down by 5.8% from the previous year.
• Lake Winnipeg accounts for most of the catch (37.4% of 10,439t) distantly followed by the Lake Manitoba (15.3% of 10,439t).
• The number of self-employed harvesters is 1,762, down by 5.4% from the previous year. The numbers of self-employed summer and winter seasons’ harvesters are up by 3.6% and 10.6% in 1997-98, respectively. The number of self-employed harvesters who worked both summer and winter is down by 36.7%.

Northwest Territories:

• 1,253t of fish were harvested. Landings are down by 32.8% from 1996-97.
• Except for pickerel, landings of all other species are down by 32.8% in 1997-98. Whitefish accounts for 69.0% of the total harvests 1,253t and is down by 33.3% in 1997-98.
• The landed and market values of the harvest are $1.2 million and $2.2 million, respectively. The total landed value rose by 38.2% from 1996-1997.
• Great Slave Lake accounts for most for the landings (95.8% of 1,253t).
• The number of self-employed harvesters is down from 76 in 1996-1997 to 77 in 1997-98. The numbers of both self-employed winter season and both seasons harvesters are up by 16.7% and 5.6%, respectively, while the number of self-employed summer season harvesters is down by 11.8% in 1997-98.

Annual Summary of Harvesting Activities: At a Glance

Note: * To protect the identities of harvesters where the number of harvesters is three or less, the “rule of three” <4 (less than four) is used>

Annex: Western Canadian Freshwater Fisheries - List of Species

Common Name

Genus Name

Carp

Cyprinus carpio

Goldeye

Hiodon alosoides

Inconnu

Stenodus leucichthys

Lake Trout

Salvelinus namaycush

Mullet

Catostomus commersonii

Northern Pike

Esox lucius

Perch

Perca flavescens

Pickerel

Sander vitreus

Sauger

Sander canadensis

Tullibee

Coregonus artedii

White Bass

Morone chrysops

Whitefish

Coregonus clupeaformis