Final Payments To Fishers Continue Slide

Final Payments To Fishers Continue Slide

Friday, December 07, 2007 at 14:18

Commercial fishers in this province continue to receive low returns for their fish.

Final payment cheques were issued to the fishers last month for fish they delivered to their Winnipeg-based marketer before the end of April.

Saskatchewan fishers received a grand total of $50,035, compared to $56,551 last year and $111,783 in 2005.

In 2002, they received a total of $743,456.

Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation spokesman Stephen Kendall says prices have been steadily dropping with the rising Canadian dollar — and the subsequent drop in fish deliveries from Saskatchewan fishers is compounding the problem.

Total final payments across western Canada this year came in at $725,674.

In 2002, that figure was $6,153,846.