Historical and Contemporary Perspectives on the Fisheries Resources and Their Management in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Canada

Manitoba (MB) and Saskatchewan (SK) have 95 (10 non-native) and 69, (11 non-native) fish species respectively.

Current COSEWIC assessments list Lake Sturgeon in both provinces (endangered); three SK species and two MB species (threatened); Lake Sturgeon DU 6 in MB and Bigmouth Buffalo in both provinces (special concern); three MB and one SK lamprey species (data deficient).

Rights-based domestic and recreational fishing are important cultural activities in both jurisdictions.  Domestic landings are not tracked but recreational fishing is surveyed every five years.  Recreational license sales in MB and SK number 170K and 194K annually, yielding total economic returns of $200M and $302M respectively. Walleye, Northern Pike and Yellow Perch are the most important species in both provinces.

Commercial fisheries in both jurisdictions are important and include large proportions of First Nation and Métis fishers. Average landings and values over the last 10y in MB were: Walleye, (5.4M kg, $20.7M); suckers, (2.4M kg, $778K); Lake Whitefish, (2.2M kg, $3.3M); Northern Pike, (1.5M kg, $1.1M) and Sauger, (450K kg, $1.8M). Commercial landings in SK in 2012 were: Walleye, (563K kg, $1.6M); Lake Whitefish, (1M kg, $1.2M); Northern Pike, (454K kg, $319K); suckers, (433K kg, $189K); and Lake Trout, (249K kg, $152K).