Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. Kakisa, of course, is a small community, but I’m very pleased to state that the community has been working together, especially to the benefit of the local fishermen. I think DFO has been involved with working with the First Nations community at the same time, and as a product of working together, a small building was constructed.
So my question to the Minister of ITI is: What resources are available for Kakisa to extend the operating season of its fish plant beyond the summer and fall? Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’re fully supportive of the initiative that the community of Kakisa has taken on in the development of a fishery there. We have the Northern Food Development Program that fishermen can apply for a marketing subsidy to get fish into the domestic market here in the Northwest Territories and that’s certainly something that’s available to the fishermen in Kakisa and something that, if they are interested in the program, I’d encourage them to talk to our staff in the South Slave about that program.
We’ve also had a great deal of success working with the community on the new building. We’ve provided some funding for that to happen and also the processing plant itself. It’s been a real good fit for the community. Thank you.
I’d like to thank the Minister for his reply. In the Economic Opportunities Strategy it’s clearly outlined that this government is going to be supporting the fisheries industry in terms of at least bolstering the efforts of the Great Slave Lake area.
What resources are available in 2014-15 for communities that want to develop the commercial fisheries? Mahsi.
We’re going to take a real good run at revitalizing the fishery on Great Slave Lake in the coming years and we have some money set aside through EOS to let us accomplish that and we are also very much interested in getting other products and fish around the territory into the domestic market. We have a number of programs run through ITI totalling about $225,000 on an annual basis, so the programs that we do have available to community members and people that want to pursue fishing and pursue getting their product into the domestic market here in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.
The Minister has indicated that his staff at ITI should talk to the people of Kakisa to ensure that there is a possibility that beyond the summer and fall they could be operational.
Will the Minister work to ensure that that does indeed happen and that the carrier support from the GNWT will continue with the community? Mahsi.
If there’s a possibility to extend the fishery in Kakisa into the winter months and if there’s a way that the department can help make that happen, that’s certainly something that we’re interested in seeing happen. I can also make a commitment today to the Member that we will have staff visit the community, talk to the community about the requirements to extend the fishery there. As well, according to my availability, I’d certainly like to accompany the Member to Kakisa for that visit by ITI officials. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.
