Trappers Slow To Capitalize On Better Prices

Trappers Slow To Capitalize On Better Prices

Thursday, January 18, 2007 at 13:06

 

 

A Saskatchewan Environment official says it appears northern trappers aren’t taking full advantage of a recent upswing in fur prices.

 

International marketers have been fetching more money for pelts over the last couple of years.

 

But department spokesman Mike Gollop says northern trappers aren’t doing the same level of concentrated or selective harvesting that’s seen in southern Saskatchewan.

 

Department statistics indicate northern trappers got more money for their beaver, otter, lynx, marten and fisher pelts last fur season compared to the previous year.

 

But they actually harvested less of those species.

 

That’s because nearly half of the pelts harvested in the North last year were muskrat hides.

 

The previous season, muskrat pelts made up just over a third of the fur harvested in northern Saskatchewan.

 

Muskrat fur has quadrupled in value over the last couple of seasons, but still doesn’t fetch nearly as much money as other pelts.