Annual Summary of Fish Harvesting Activities (2000-2001)

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, 2000 to April 30, 2001. 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

• 22,157 metric tonnes (t) of fish were harvested. Landings are up by 2.6% from 1999-2000.
• The landed and market values of the harvest were $40.7 million and $65.0 million, respectively.
• Of the total landings of 22,157t, whitefish accounts for 29.2%, up from 25.9% in 1999-2000, pickerel accounts for 25.8%, up from 21.4% in 1999-2000, mullet accounts for 23.9% down from 27.5% in 1999-2000, and northern pike accounts for 11.8% down from 13.1% in 1999-2000.
• Of the major species, landings for whitefish, pickerel, and lake trout are up while those of mullet, northern pike and sauger are down in 2000-01 compared to the previous year.
• Of the total landings of 22,157t, Lake Winnipeg (6,174t) accounted for the largest volume distantly followed by Lake Winnipegosis (2,847t), Lake Manitoba (1,916t), and Great Slave (1,169t).
• The FFMC purchased catch from 2,766 self-employed harvesters in 2000-01 compared to 2,679 in 1999-2000, a rise of 3.3%. The increase in the number of self-employed harvesters in the landings ranges $10001 - $20,000 and $30,000+ are accounted for most of the increase.

Section 2: Analysis by Jurisdiction

• Manitoba harvesters caught 67.9% of the total harvest and received 77.2% of the landed value which can be attributed to the high value of pickerel. Saskatchewan harvesters caught 18.8% of the harvest and received 12.2% of the landed value. Alberta caught 7.9% and received 6.5%. Northwest Territories caught 5.4% and received 4.1%.
• Of the total 2,750 harvesters, Manitoba has 1,869 (68.0%), Saskatchewan has 598 (21.7%), Alberta has 147 (5.3%) and Northwest Territories has 136 (4.9%).

Alberta:

• 1,739t of fish were harvested. Landings are down by 8.6% from 1999-2000.
• Except pickerel, landings for all species are down from the previous year. Whitefish landings, which accounts for 86.1% of provincial landings, are down by 2.5%.
• The landed and market values of the harvest are $2.6 million and $4.5 million, respectively. Total landed value is up by 6.8% from 1999-2000.
• Lesser Slave Lake accounted for the largest volume (43.4%) followed by Utikuma Lake (20.6%).
• There are 147 self-employed harvesters in 2000-01 down from 166 (11.5%) in 1999-2000. The decrease was caused by the fall in winter and both seasons harvesters.
• The number of self-employed summer season harvesters is up by 2.5% in 2000-01 while the number of self-employed winter season harvesters is down by 6.0%. The number of self-employed harvesters in both seasons is down by 27.1%.

Saskatchewan:

• 4,159t of fish were harvested. Landings are up by 10.6% from 1999-2000.
• Except for northern pike and pickerel, landings for all major species are down in 2000-01. Whitefish accounts for 35.9% of the total harvests, up from 29.2% in 1999-2000, followed by mullet at 24.7%, down from 26.3% in 1999-2000.
• The landed and market values of the harvest are $5.0 million and $8.1 million, respectively. The total landed value is down by 6.4% in 2000-01.
• Ile-a-la Crosse accounted for the largest volume (9.9% of 4,158t) followed by Reindeer (9.7% of 4,158t).
• The number of self-employed harvesters is up from 561 in 1999-2000 to 598 in 2000-01. The number of self-employed summer and winter seasons’ harvesters rose by 8.2% and 7.0% in 2000-01, respectively. The number of self-employed harvesters who worked both summer and winter fell by 4.7%.

Manitoba:

• 15,016t of fish were harvested. Landings are up by 2.6% from 1999-2000.
• Expect for pickerel, which accounts for 41.8% of the total harvests, landings fell for all other major species from 1999-2000. Pickerel landings are up by 2.2% in 2000-01, and whitefish landings, which accounts for 22.2%, are down by 8.4% in 2000-01.
• The landed and market values of the harvest are $31.3 million and $49.0 million, respectively. Total landed value is down by 15.2% from the previous year mainly due to the fall in price.
• Lake Winnipeg accounts for most of the catch (41.1% of 15,016t) followed by the Lake Winnipegosis (19.0% of 15,016t).
• The number of self-employed harvesters is 1,869, up by 3.6% from the previous year. The number of self-employed summer and winter seasons’ harvesters rose by 5.3% and 8.6% in 2000-01, respectively. The number of self-employed harvesters who worked both summer and winter fell by 8.1%.

Northwest Territories:

• 1,200t of fish were harvested. Landings are down by 3.6% from 1999-2000.
• Except for pickerel and lake trout, landings of all other species are down by 15.5% in 2000-01. Whitefish accounts for 77.8% of the total harvests 930t and is down by 11.3% in 2000-01. In contrast, pickerel and lake trout which account for 3.6% and 6.6% of 930t, respectively, are up by approximately 7% in 2000-01.
• The landed and market values of the harvest are $1.7 million and $3.3 million, respectively. The total landed value is up by 9.9% from 1999-2000.
• Great Slave Lake accounts for most for the landings (97.3% of 1,200t).
• The number of self-employed harvesters is down from 133 in 1999-2000 to 136 in 2000-01. The numbers of both self-employed winter season and both seasons harvesters are up by 30.3% and 3.9%, respectively, while the number of self-employed summer season harvesters is down by 14.9% in 2000-01.

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