Fishermen looking for a better deal from local processors

The annual debate over the price of fish landed at local fish plants has reached its regular breaking point, as August reaches the midway point.

Local fishermen have taken to using a petition to try and move the local processing companies closer to their view on the always contentious issue. With claims of price fixing making the rounds, countered by an explanation of the globalization of the sockeye fishery, it should prove to be a most heated exchange between the companies and those that fish for them.

The Northern View had a front page story on the issue in its August 9 edition, The Podunk provides it below.

Debate looms over pricing
By Shaun Thomas
The Northern View
Wednesday, August 9, 2006
Page one

Local fishermen have taken up a petition to try and get what they consider fair price for their catch, and Joy Thorkelson with the fishermen’s union said many feel there is more than meets the eye.

“The petition reflects the desperation fishermen are feeling and the price processors are paying. They feel that there may be price fixing going on and feel powerless,” she said, adding that current prices sit around $.20 and $1.30 for sockeye and between 10 and 20 cents a pound for pinks,

“These prices don’t reflect the market and that is why they feel there may be price fixing… Something had to be done because as the price of salmon goes up the price being paid to the people who catch them shouldn’t decrease.”

The petition, which was started by the fishermen and not the union, simply asks for fair pricing for the catch and notes that wild pacific salmon are the most sought after of fish products and in many cases the catch isn’t keeping up with the demand.

However, Ocean Fisheries’ Director of Fish Management says that is not the case.

“Unfortunately that is reflective of the current market situation. The fact is the sockeye price is driven by the Japanese market for frozen sockeye and Canadian fish had a premier position in that market.

Unfortunately we lost that position last year due to an inconsistent supply, the advent of fish farming in Japan, and the rise in supply from the Russian market. Without a consistent supply in Japanese supermarkets the market has turned to that Russian sockeye,” he said.

“B. C. are price takers in the market, as disappointing as that is to the fishermen. There is no discussion at all about setting prices, we all sell into the same market and try to be as competitive as possible… As producers we realize how disappointing it is and the world would look a whole lot brighter to us if we could pay more to the fishermen because then they are making money and we are making money.”

Thorkelson added that the union is asking the government to look into price fixing, and continuing to attempt to reach an agreement through collective bargaining.

However, she said the bargaining process is difficult due to the position of the fishermen after fighting for more openings during the commercial season.