Harper Government Invests in Northwest Saskatchewan Fishing Industry

ILE-A-LA-CROSSE, SASKATCHEWAN--(Marketwired - July 28, 2015) - Western Economic Diversification Canada

The Northern Village of Ile-a-la-Crosse will construct a Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) certified fish packing and processing facility thanks to a $950,000 investment from the Government of Canada announced today by Rob Clarke, Member of Parliament for Desnethé-Missinippi-Churchill River, on behalf of the Honourable Michelle Rempel, Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification.

According to the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation (FFMC), there is a growing consumer demand for fresh wild-caught fish nationally and internationally. The Ile-a-la-Crosse facility currently takes fresh caught fish from local fishers and sends them to the FFMC to process and distribute. This investment in a new federally registered facility will expand the existing fishing industry in Northwest Saskatchewan by introducing new value-added products, such as northern pike roe and deboned northern pike fillets, which will be exported to new international markets. The new facility will have the capacity to process the increasing amount of fish delivered by local and regionally-based fishers.

Quick Facts

• The current facility has serviced the industry since the mid-1970s and provides approximately $864,000 in annual revenues for local fishers.
  
  
• Aboriginal fishers make up 80% of the commercial fishing industry and the Saskatchewan fisher is a significant supplier of freshwater fish in Canada today.
  
  
• The Northern Village of Ile-a-la-Crosse, or Sakitawak (where the rivers meet) in Cree, is the second oldest community in Saskatchewan.
  
  

Quotes

"The fishing industry is a traditional cultural practice and is a key part of the economy in Northern Saskatchewan. Our Government is proud to support the construction of this new facility that will increase the sustainability and economic success of Saskatchewan's northern communities."

- Rob Clarke, Member of Parliament for Desnethé-Missinippi-Churchill River

"The idea of continually shipping away a large portion of the value of the product does not make sense to us. That's why we must fillet and package fish and other fish products locally for export to markets anywhere in the world if need be."

- Duane Favel, Mayor, Northern Village of Ile-a-la-Crosse

Additional Links

- Previous WD funding to the Northern Village of Ile-a-la-Crosse

- Canadian Food Inspection Agency

- Northern Village of Ile-a-la-Crosse

- Freshwater Marketing Fish Corporation

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