Commercial fishers to protest Freshwater Fish

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 25/04/2012 (4982 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba commercial fishers are protesting what they call Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation’s frivolous spending today.

Manitoba fishers hope public attention will force politicians to break Freshwater’s monopoly over commercial fish. Currently Freshwater is the only customer Manitoba fishers can sell to.

“They know they could be making more money on their own,” said Amanda Stevenson, commercial fisher. “They’re tired of being cheated.”

They want to follow in the footsteps of Saskatchewan’s fishers who broke free of freshwaters monopoly April 1.

The fishers will protest outside Freshwater’s Transcona plant at 1199 Plessis Road, today at 1 p.m., while Freshwater’s board meets. They’ve decided to take their issues with Freshwater public after years of unsuccessful lobbying attempts.

In March, Manitoba fishermen were enraged after the Canadian Taxpayers Federation released a statement detailing numerous Freshwater expenses. Fishermen took exception to many of the revealed expenses, which included high bar bills and tickets to sporting events.

“A lot of fishermen feel that the expenses are completely ridiculous,” said Stevenson.

According to Stevenson, fishers believe Freshwater isn’t fulfilling its mandate, which includes purchasing all fish legally caught and offered for sale, creating and promoting an orderly market, and to maximizing returns to fishers.