Fishers Facing Two-Tier Pricing for Jackfish

Wednesday, November 10, 2004 at 13:42

 

 

The Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation wants to discourage fishers from sending it too much jackfish and mullet.

 

The FFMC’s Stephen Kendall says the corporation has had a tough time finding buyers for both species of fish.

 

As a result, Freshwater is going to start ordering mullet from fishers on a week-by-week basis only as it needs it.

 

And, for the first time in about 10 years, the FFMC is essentially putting a cap on how much jackfish deliveries it will accept from fishers.

 

Kendall says under the two-tier pricing system, the FFMC is only paying the full price for 75 per cent of the jackfish it normally receives — the remaining jackfish will be bought for half that price.

 

Kendall can’t say how long these price controls will remain in place.

 

But Saskatchewan Commercial Fisheries president John Carriere says this measure might be enough to convince some of his peers to give up on fishing.

 

Carriere also says it’s tough to take the FFMC to task for this move when they are partners in the fish plant project in Prince Albert.

 

Carriere says the only option left to fishers might be to lobby for federal or provincial aid.