Annual Summary of Fish Harvesting Activities (1998-1999)

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, 1998 to April 30, 1999. 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

• 18,185 metric tonnes (t) of fish were harvested. Landings are up by 8.7% from 1997-98.
• The landed and market values of the harvest were $31.0 million and $51.8 million, respectively.
• Of the total landings of 18,185t, whitefish accounts for 29.1%, down from 32.8% in 1997-98, mullet accounts for 21.0% down from 21.7% in 1997-98, pickerel accounts for 20.3%, up from 16.6% in 1997-98, northern pike accounts for 14.4% the same as in 1997-98, and sauger accounts for 6.2%, up from 5.8% in 1997-98.
• Of the major species, landings for pickerel and sauger are up while those of whitefish, mullet, and northern pike are down in 1998-99 compared to the previous year.
• Of the total landings of 18,185t, Lake Winnipeg (4,761t) accounted for the largest volume distantly followed by Lake Winnipegosis (1,991t), Lake Manitoba (1,594t), and Great Slave (1,257t).
• The FFMC purchased catch from 2,510 self-employed harvesters in 1997-98 compared to 2,569 in 1996-97, down by 2.3%. 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 65.0% of the total harvest and received 74% of the landed value which can be attributed to the high value of pickerel. Saskatchewan harvesters caught 18.0% of the harvest and received 14.0% of the landed value. Alberta caught 10.0% and received 7.0%. Northwest Territories caught 7.0% and received 5.0%.
• Of the total 2,510 harvesters, Manitoba has 1,723 (68.0%), Saskatchewan has 540 (22.0%), Alberta has 172 (7.0%) and Northwest Territories has 73 (3.0%).

Alberta:

• 1,758t of fish were harvested. Landings are down by 0.3% from 1997-98.
• Of the major species landings are up for only whitefish. All other species are down from the previous year. Whitefish landings, which accounts for 86.0% of provincial landings, is up by 4.3%.
• The landed and market values of the harvest are $2.1 million and $4.2 million, respectively. Total landed value is up by 12.2% from 1997-98.
• Lesser Slave Lake accounted for the largest volume (46.0%) followed by Utikuma Lake (17.0%).
• There were 172 self-employed harvesters in 1998-99 down from 183 (6.0%) in 1997-98. The decrease was caused by the fall in winter, and both season harvesters.
• The number of self-employed summer season harvesters is up by 34.1% in 1998-99 while the number of self-employed winter season harvesters is down by 19.0%. The number of self-employed harvesters in both seasons is down by 15.9%.

Saskatchewan:

• 3,310t of fish were harvested. Landings are up by 3.0% from 1997-98.
• Except for whitefish, trout, and mullet landings for all major species are up in 1998-99. Whitefish accounts for 28.5% of the total harvests, down from 32.2% in 1997-98, followed by mullet at 21.6%, down from 24.3% in 1997-98.
• The landed and market values of the harvest are $4.3 million and $7.8 million, respectively. The total landed value is up by 18.0% in 1998-99.
• Dore accounted for the largest volume (8.0% of 3,310t) closely followed by Reindeer (9.0% of 3,310t) and Ile-a-la Crosse (8.0% of 3,310t).
• The number of self-employed harvesters is up from 528 in 1997-98 to 540 in 1998-99. The number of self-employed summer and winter seasons’ harvesters are up by 6.6% and 7.1% in 1998-99, respectively. The number of self-employed harvesters who worked both summer and winter is down by 44.7%.

Manitoba:

• 14,633t of fish were harvested. Landings rose by 23.9% from 1998-99.
• Of the major species, landings for whitefish, pickerel, and mullet are up while those of sauger, northern pike and perch are down in 1999-2000 compared to the previous year. Mullet landings, which accounts for 33.4% of total landings, is up by 58.5% and pickerel landings, which accounts for 27.5% of total landings, is up by 30.6% in 1999-2000.
• The landed and market values of the harvest are $27.2 million and $42.8 million, respectively. Total landed value is up by 17.3% from the previous year.
• Lake Winnipeg accounts for most of the catch (36.4% of 14,633t) followed by the Lake Manitoba (18.6% of 15,016t).
• The number of self-employed harvesters is 1,805, up by 4.7% from the previous year. The number of self-employed summer season harvesters is up by 7.9% while that of winter season is down by 10.8% in 1999-2000. The number of self-employed harvesters who worked both summer and winter seasons is up by 28.1%.

Northwest Territories:

• 1,302t of fish were harvested. Landings are up by 3.8% from 1997-98.
• Except for pike, landings of all other species are down in 1997-98. Whitefish accounts for 65.0% of the total harvests 1,302t and is down by 1.0% in 1998-99.
• The landed and market values of the harvest are $1.5 million and $3.0 million, respectively. The total landed value rose by 16.49% from 1997-1998.
• Great Slave Lake accounts for most for the landings (96.0% of 1,258t).
• The number of self-employed harvesters is down from 77 in 1997-1998 to 73 in 1998-99. The numbers of both self-employed summer season and winter season harvesters are down by 10.7% and 5.3%, respectively, while the number of self-employed both season harvesters remained the same in 1998-99.

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