Trappers’ Revenue Way Down
Wednesday, November 04, 2009 at 12:49
Saskatchewan trappers fetched significantly lower prices for their pelts last season, according to data supplied by Saskatchewan Environment.
The roughly $1.2-million in total returns is the lowest recorded total since the early 1990s, and just over a third of the total received two seasons prior to last year.
Overall, trappers in the province received an average of $18.45 for their pelts last season — a drop of $6.53 from the previous season.
In the north, fur harvesters got an average return of $24.07 cents a pelt last season. In the previous year, each pelt fetched almost $33.
Northern Saskatchewan Trappers’ Association president Clifford Ray says there’s not much trappers can do about global demand.
But, Ray says, the industry will never completely die out, no matter how bad prices get.
“We anticipated that (price drop), but we have die-hard trappers out there. They’re still making a living, or trying to make a living, in the trapping industry. And this is why we diversified our organization, so we can do other stuff… than just trapping alone,” he says.
Ray also says the current prices aren’t going to discourage his group from trying to get young people interested in trapping.