Where have all the jackfish gone?

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/05/2021 (1607 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In Manitoba our most common commercially caught fish are walleye (pickerel), whitefish, and northern pike (jackfish). Many stores stock fresh pickerel as high as $4.99 per 100 grams, sometimes the more economical frozen whole whitefish, but never fresh or frozen jackfish. The stores also stock foreign fish such as tilapia, basa, milkfish, and a variety of farmed fish which I have tried and found lacking the texture, quality, and flavour of jackfish. As well some foreign fish are farmed, reputedly under questionable sanitary conditions, and I have found that they have much higher moisture content making cooking difficult and their lower prices questionable.

Growing up near Sturgeon Creek, I honed my fishing skills there with makeshift fishing tackle, bringing about a lasting source of pleasure. I recall catching jackfish,  suckers, bullheads, silver bass, and rarely, pickerel. But jackfish were the most plentiful, and from the cold spring fed creek were great eating. I took great pride in bringing home enough to feed the family. The rules being I had to clean and fillet them. Seasoned, dipped in egg, then in fine bread crumbs and fried, provided many tasty and nourishing meals. As the years went by I obtained more sophisticated tackle and was able to fish more productive waters where I caught jackfish, trout, salmon, pickerel, bass, freshwater drum, perch, whitefish, goldeye, burbot, and catfish. While the most desired fish were trout or pickerel I and many others equally enjoyed jackfish when caught in cold unpolluted water. Historically jackfish played an important part in helping many early prairie setttlers feed their families. 

Our commercial fishermen have to sell their catch to the freshwater fish marketing board where it is processed and resold. As jackfish are considerably less expensive than pickerel I wonder, “where have all our jackfish have gone?” I know fresh jackfish is in demand for gefilte fish and other recipes, and there’s probably a huge market in  heavily populated communities in places like New York. Maybe so, but how can our government justify selling “all of our jackfish “to other countries, and then foist questionable foreign, and probably not as healthy substitutes upon us, depriving us of an important, tasty, nourishing, and inexpensive resource?   

 We’re constantly advised to buy locally but in the case of jackfish there’s nothing to buy. How come?  

Ron Buffie is a community correspondent for Transcona. Email him at ronbuffie@shaw.ca

Ron Buffie
Transcona community correspondent

Ron Buffie was a community correspondent for Transcona.

   Read full biography