Annual Summary of Fish Harvesting Activities (2003-2004)
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, 2003 to April 30, 2004. 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
- 20,548 metric tonnes (t) of fish were harvested. Landings are down by 8.9% from 2002-03.
- The landed and market values of the harvest were $33.3 million and $66.8 million, respectively.
- Of the total landings of 20,548t, whitefish accounts for 32.6%, up from 30.7% in 2002-03, pickerel accounts for 27.3%, up from 22.8% in 2002-03, mullet accounts for 18.2%, down from 22.7% in 2002-03, and northern pike accounts for 10.9% up from 10.6% in 2002-03.
- Landings decreased for most species, except for pickerel and lake trout which are up by 9.3% and 17.6%, respectively.
- Of the total landings of 20,548t, Lake Winnipeg (6,601t) accounted for the largest volume distantly followed by Lake Manitoba (1,739t), and Lake Winnipegosis (1,627t).
- The FFMC purchased catch from 2,918 self-employed harvesters in 2003-04 compared to 2,833 in 2002-03, an increase of 2.9.
Section 2: Analysis by Jurisdiction
- Manitoba harvesters caught 68.0% of the total harvest and received 77.0% of the landed value which can be attributed to the high value of pickerel. Saskatchewan harvesters caught 17.0% of the harvest and received 12.0% of the landed value. Alberta caught 10.0% and received 7.0-%. Northwest Territories caught 5.0% and received 4.0%.
- Of the total 2,918 harvesters, Manitoba has 1,931 (66.0%), Saskatchewan has 719 (25.0%), Northwest Territories has 146 (5.0%), and Alberta has 122 (4.0%).
Alberta:
- 1,950t of fish were harvested. Landings are down by 14.3% from 2002-03.
- Landings for all species are down from the previous year. Whitefish, which accounts for 92.0% of provincial landings, are down by 12.1%.
- The landed and market values of the harvest are $2.4 million and $3.5 million, respectively. Total landed value decreased by 29.3% from 2002-03.
- Lesser Slave Lake Lake accounted for the largest volume (38.4%) followed by Lake Utikuma (24.8%).
- There are 122 self-employed harvesters in 2003-04 down from 124 in 2002-03. The number of self-employed summer and winter seasons’ harvesters are up by 2.9% and 13.5% in 2003-04, respectively while the number of self-employed harvesters in both seasons is down by 15.4%.
Saskatchewan:
- 3,507t of fish were harvested. Landings are down by 18.1% from 2002-03.
- Whitefish accounts for 33.6% of the total harvests, up from 32.8% in 2002-03. Mullet accounts for 19.3%, down from 26.4% in 2002-03.
- The landed and market values of the harvest are $3.8 million and $9.8 million, respectively. The total landed value is down by 24.5% in 2003-04.
- Reindeer accounted for the largest volume (13.0% of 3,507t) followed by Ile-a-la Crosse (8.0% of 3,507)
- The number of self-employed harvesters is up by 2.28% to 719 in 2003-04. Winter season harvesters are up by 5.1% in 2003-04 and summer season is up slightly by 0.8%. The number of self-employed harvesters who worked both summer and winter was down by 13.7%.
Manitoba:
- 13,980t of fish were harvested. Landings are down by 6.2% from 2002-03.
- Of the major species, landings for sauger, mullet, and perch are down while landings for whitefish, northern pike, and pickerel are up in 2003-04. Pickerel, which accounts 34.0% of the total harvests, landings rose by 11.0% in 2003-04. On the other hand, mullet, which accounts for 22.0%, landings were down by 23.7% in 2003-04.
- The landed and market values of the harvest are $25.8 million and $51.6 million, respectively. Total landed value is down by 17.8% from the previous year.
- Lake Winnipeg accounts for most of the catch (47.0% of 13,980t) followed by the Lake Winnipegosis and Lake Manitoba (12.0% of 13,980t respectively).
- The number of self-employed harvesters is 1,931, up by 3.9% from the previous year. The number of self-employed summer season harvesters is up by 2.4% in 2003-04 and is down by 3.4% for winter season. The number of self-employed harvesters for both seasons is up by 16.3% in 2003-04.
Northwest Territories:
- 1,090t of fish were harvested. Landings are up by 0.4% from 2002-03.
- Whitefish accounts for 76.0% of the total harvests up by 3.4 % from the previous year. Followed by northern pike accounts for 5.0% of the total harvests.
- The landed and market values of the harvest are $1.2 million and $1.7 million, respectively. The total landed value is down by 9.3% from 2002-03.
- Great Slave Lake accounts for most for the landings (98.0% of 1,090t). Followed by Lake Kakisa (2.0% of 1,090t).
- The number of self-employed harvesters remained the same as the orevious year at 146. The number of self-employed harvesters in the summer season decreased by 20%. Both winter and both seasons increased by 18%, and 13% respectively in 2003-04.
Annual Summary of Harvesting Activities: At a Glance
Jurisdiction | ||||||
Alberta | Saskatchewan | Manitoba | NWT | Total | ||
Landings (t) | 1,950 | 3,506 | 13,980 | 1,090 | 20,548 | |
% Change from 2002-03 | -14.3% | -18.1% | -6.2% | 0.4% | -8.9% | |
Landed Value ($000) | 2,445 | 3,885 | 25,801 | 1,202 | 33,345 | |
% Change from 2002-03 | -22.7% | -24.4% | -17.8% | -9.3% | -18.8% | |
Self-Employed Harvesters | 122 | 719 | 1,931 | 146 | 2,918 | |
% Change from 2002-03 | -1.6% | 2.3% | 3.9% | 0.1% | 3.0% | |
Major Harvested Species | Whitefish, pickerel, northern pike | Whitefish, mullet, Pickerel, northern pike, lake trout | Whitefish, pickerel, sauger, northern pike, perch, mullet | Whitefish, pickerel, lake trout, northern pike, inconnu | Whitefish, pickerel, sauger, northern pike, mullet, lake trout |
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
- Date modified: