Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement I indicated my concern with the future of the commercial fishing industry in Hay River. My question today will be for the Minister of ITI. What is the department doing to innovate and to assist commercial industry in the Northwest Territories?
Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. The honourable Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We currently have a funding program to assist commercial fishermen in the Northwest Territories at $225,000 a year. Thank you.
My next question is concerning the government facilities. Does the Minister have information on how much fish is bought in the Northwest Territories through our government facilities such as correctional facilities and schools and stuff like that?
Mr. Speaker, I don’t have that level of detail with me today, but I believe that was an issue that came up during the last sitting. I believe it was Mr. Bromley that brought that up as a performance indicator, how much local fish and meat products we are using in the Northwest Territories. If the Member likes, I can provide him with that information. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, yes, I would like that information. I would like to know what the department is doing to encourage purchasing through the different departments and facilities.
Mr. Speaker, the NWT Fishermen’s Federation is still involved with the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation. They voted back in December of 2010 to remain a part of that organization. That organization is in fact going through a bit of turmoil. Just recently both Saskatchewan and northern Ontario have pulled out of FFMC and 90 percent of the total fish being run through FFMC now comes from Manitoba. There have also been some issues with the governance of the FFMC. So that’s where currently the NWT Fishermen’s Federation is marketing their fish.
As to the future here in the Northwest Territories, we do want to work with the NWT Fishermen’s Federation. We want to ensure a viable commercial fishery here in the Northwest Territories and we will continue to support commercial fishing in the NWT. Should the NWT Fishermen’s Federation decide at some point not to continue with FFMC, then we will have to reconsider our support and see where else we can help the fishermen in the NWT. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Bouchard.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My next question is concerning one of the issues that face the commercial fishermen right now and that’s the high cost of fuel. One of the things that they pay is they pay the full taxes on the road tax. I know the department has looked in the past at this and they recently reviewed this policy. Is there somehow they can support the commercial fishing industry, because the gas is not used on a road system?
Thank you. The $225,000 that I spoke of earlier, that is money that goes to commercial fishers here in the NWT to help offset the high cost of fuel to help get them out on the lake harvesting fish. That’s something that we will continue to support. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.
