Economic History Theme Study A HISTORY OF MANITOBA’S COMMERCIAL FISHERY 1872 - 2005 Whiskey Jack fishing station on Lake Winnipegosis, c. 1912. (Source: Winnipegosis History Book Committee, Reflections from Little Muddy River, p.32.) Karen Nicholson Historic Resources Branch May 2007 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: Research for this report was provided by Ainslie Keyzer, a Millennium Scholarship student from the University of Manitoba, who worked at Historic Resources Branch in summer 2005. Many of the photos were provided by Manitoba Water Stewardship, Fisheries Branch. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE 1. List of Illustrations ........................................................................................................ iv 2. Introduction .................................................................................................................. 1 3. Geography ................................................................................................................... 1 4. Manitoba’s Freshwater Food Fish Species ................................................................... 4 5. The Fishermen ............................................................................................................. 13 a. The Native Fishery .............................................................................. 14 b. Fur Trade Fisheries ............................................................................. 20 c. Red River Settlement .......................................................................... 22 d. The Icelanders .................................................................................... 23 6. Native Fishery, Post 1870 ............................................................................................ 26 7. Development of a Commercial Fishing Industry ........................................................... 31 a. Integrating the Native Fishery and the Commercial Fishing Industry ... 31 b. Beginning of a Commercial Fishery ..................................................... 37 c. Arrival of Commercial Fish Companies ................................................ 38 d. Problems with the Fishery ................................................................... 44 8. The Correlation between Commercial Fisheries and Transportation ............................ 46 9. Fishing Methods .......................................................................................................... 59 a. Summer Fishing .................................................................................. 61 b. Winter Fishing ..................................................................................... 67 10. The Fishing Regions .................................................................................................. 74 a. Fishing on Lake Winnipeg ................................................................... 74 b. Fishing on Lake Winnipegosis ............................................................. 79 c. Fishing on Lake Manitoba ................................................................... 83 d. Northern Commercial Fishery .............................................................. 87 11. Regulation of the Fishing Industry .............................................................................. 94 12. Consolidation of the Fishing Industry, 1900-1930 ....................................................... 99 13. Fish Processing ......................................................................................................... 100 14. Changes in Fish Marketing ........................................................................................ 102 a. Fisherman’s Protective Union .............................................................. 102 b. The Manitoba Co-operative Fisheries Ltd. ........................................... 103 c. Fresh Fish Distributors ........................................................................ 105 d. Island Lake Fishermen’s Co-operative ................................................ 106 15. Increasing Problems, 1930-1960 ............................................................................... 107 16. Searching for Solutions, 1961-1970 .......................................................................... 110 17. The Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation ............................................................. 111 18. Fish Hatcheries ......................................................................................................... 118 19. Sport Fishing ............................................................................................................. 125 20. State of the Fishery in 21st Century ........................................................................... 135 21. Conclusions ............................................................................................................... 141 22. Appendices ................................................................................................................ 143 1. Relation of Manitoba Fisheries to American Inland Fisheries 1924 .... 143 2. Commercial Catches 1924 ................................................................. 144 3. Annual Fish Production in Manitoba ................................................... 145 4. Average Returns from Fishing in Manitoba 1929-32 ........................... 146 5. Average Income per Fisherman by Region 1992-2002 ...................... 147 6. Cost of Operation of Whitefish Boats on Lake Manitoba, 1933 ........... 148 7. Refrigeration Plants Handling Fish 1924 ............................................ 149 8. Distribution of Fish Fry from Manitoba Hatcheries 1924 ..................... 150 9. Commercial Fishing Production by Species 1995-2005 ..................... 151 ii 10. Commercial Fishing Production and Value by Region 1995-2005 ...... 152 11. Commercial Fishing Employment 1995-2005 ..................................... 153 23. Inventories ............................................................................................................... 154 a. Inventory of Fishing Stations in Manitoba .............................................. 154 b. Inventory of Fish Companies in Manitoba ............................................. 158 24. Bibliography .............................................................................................................. 160 25. Endnotes ................................................................................................................... 167 iii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE 1. Whiskey Jack station, Lake Winnipegosis, c. 1912 ............................................... i 2. Armstrong Fisheries, Whiskey Jack c. 1920 ......................................................... 2 3. Map of Manitoba’s waters ..................................................................................... 3 4. Fishing boats on Lake Winnipeg, 1924 ................................................................. 4 5. Sturgeon ............................................................................................................... 5 6. Goldeye ................................................................................................................ 5 7. White Sucker ........................................................................................................ 6 8. Channel catfish ..................................................................................................... 7 9. Northern Pike ....................................................................................................... 7 10. Tullibee ................................................................................................................. 8 11. Whitefish .............................................................................................................. 9 12. Round Whitefish ................................................................................................... 9 13. Arctic Char ........................................................................................................... 10 14. Lake Trout ............................................................................................................ 10 15. White Bass ........................................................................................................... 11 16. Large Mouth Bass ................................................................................................ 11 17. Yellow perch ......................................................................................................... 12 18. Sauger .................................................................................................................. 13 19. Walleye ................................................................................................................ 13 20. Native spear fishing .............................................................................................. 15 21. Aboriginal woman with drying fish ......................................................................... 17 22. Native campsite, Birch River ................................................................................. 18 23. Dogsleds at Fort Alexander .................................................................................. 18 24. Ancient fish weir ................................................................................................... 19 25. Fishing boats at Hecla, c. 1930 ............................................................................