Industry voices say processing and new products could boost income for fishers
Fish species that rarely reach dinner plates could hold new economic opportunities for northern fishers if new markets and processing options are developed.
The idea surfaced during discussions this week among fish harvesters and industry leaders who gathered in Prince Albert to talk about the future of the inland fishing industry and new ways to use underutilized species.
Former MLA Joan Beatty, an advisor with Saskatchewan Co-operative Fisheries Ltd. and a member of the technical committee working on the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation file, said many northern lakes contain large numbers of fish species that are not widely marketed.
“Everybody goes after pickerel and jackfish, but there are a lot of suckers and mariahs in our lakes that nobody really goes after,” Beatty said.
Those fish, along with byproducts such as fish skins, could potentially be used to create value-added products such as pet treats, she said.
“There’s a lot of waste, and if we had the right type of fishery, we should be utilizing all fish,” Beatty said. “They can be sold.”
Fish-based pet treats are already widely sold in stores, often made from ocean species such as Pacific salmon, showing that a market for fish-based products already exists.
A Pet Valu assistant store manager in Prince Albert who asked not to be named said the store sells several fish-based treats made from fish sourced from British Columbia.
“One of the products is 100 per cent wild Pacific salmon skins,” the manager said.
Those products are typically made from ocean fish such as Pacific salmon, but Beatty said northern freshwater species could also be used if processing capacity is developed.
The treats are marketed as natural snacks with simple ingredients.
“It has omega-3 fatty acids and it’s marketed as helping with a dog’s skin and coat,” the manager said.
Customers are increasingly looking for simple-ingredient products, the manager added.
“Customers are looking for treats with fewer ingredients and more natural products,” the manager said.
Beatty said the opportunity for value-added fish products could extend well beyond local markets.
Even now, she said, a large share of fish harvested in the region is exported.
“About 70 per cent of the fish is sold to the United States, and that’s just prime fish,” Beatty said.
Developing products from other species or fish byproducts could open additional markets, she said.
Across North America, some fisheries have already begun turning lower-value or invasive fish species into pet food and pet treats as a way to reduce waste and create new revenue streams. Products made from dried fish skins, whole fish, or fish meal are now common in specialty pet stores.
Beatty said similar opportunities could exist for Saskatchewan if the right infrastructure is developed.
“Our dream was always to have a processing plant in Prince Albert that could handle fish from northern fishers,” Beatty said.
Such a facility could allow fishers to process more of their catch locally and explore products such as pet treats made from fish skins or other underused species.
Beatty said Indigenous and fishing organizations are already working together to explore ways to expand the industry.
“We’re already working together as First Nations and Métis leadership because we see the need and the opportunity,” she said.
Beatty said developing new products from underused fish is only one part of a broader effort to strengthen the inland fishing economy.
“It’s just one aspect of a much bigger thing,” she said.
arjun.pillai@paherald.sk.ca
