Metis Nation supports fishermen

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The 64th Metis Nation of Alberta annual general assembly resolved to support Metis freshwater fishermen seeking to escape control of the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation.

Members voted unanimously after a presentation from Robert Ross of Hay River, N.W.T. Ross, chairman of the Great Slave Lake Fish Company L.T.D., is also head of Concerned Fishermen, a group organizing a national drive to get rid of the marketing board. Now, fisherman must by law sell their catch to the F.F.M.C., Ross said.

After initially advocating massive fishing, the board can't handle the catch, Ross claimed. Millions of pounds of fish are thrown back into the waters regularly, while there is easily a market for all caught. The fish the board is able to move is often of reduced quality because of the time between catching and getting the fish to market.

Ross quoted fisheries minister John Crosbie, who said that $31 million had been paid out last year to 3,500 fishermen. That works out to just over $9,000 each, before expenses and before paying two to three helpers.

It costs a fisherman $1.19 per pound to put fish on the scale and the F.F.M.C.

pays them 85 cents per pound. And that's after subsidization by the Territorial government, with subsidy dollars going to the F.F.M.C.