Longtime N.W.T. fisher rejects concerns over Hay River's new fish plant

A longtime fisher on Great Slave Lake is rejecting criticisms of Hay River's long-anticipated new fish plant, which is set to open soon.

Bert Buckley Sr., who's been fishing for over 50 years, said the Tu Cho Fishers Cooperative does not represent all fishers, and that includes him. 

The cooperative has been outspoken with concerns over how the new plant will be managed. Jamie Linington told CBC early last week that local fishers are not happy that the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation (FFMC) will be operating the plant.

Buckley doesn't share those concerns. The longtime fisher has been a board member of FFCM and is former president of the Tu Cho cooperative. 

"They can criticize Freshwater all they want," he said. "But when [the FFMC] give me a cheque it doesn't bounce.

"I'm a producer — not a fish seller or fish packer."

Buckley had initially said that the new plant was too big. He still believes that, but now that it's almost open he said the size is irrelevant. He says his goal now is to just get out on the lake and catch some fish.

"The point is, now you gotta work with Freshwater, and let's work with the territorial government. Let's go fishing and get this thing paid for," he said.

 'A big task'

Buckley said he doesn't believe that there is anyone local who is qualified to run the plant and that includes the Tu Cho Fishers Cooperative.

"It's a big task to take on. You need experts to do this here. I don't think [Tu Cho] is capable to do what they set out to do," he said.

Buckley said last year the Tu Cho cooperative ran into issues sending fish up to Yellowknife, and he blames the delay for he and his son losing out on thousands of dollars.

"They had problems, I don't know what kind of problems," Buckley said. "They couldn't orchestrate it."

Tu Cho did not respond to requests for comment by deadline. 

Caroline Wawzonek, minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, said last week that an agreement signed in 2020 would ideally hand over management of the plant to a cooperative. 

Since then, Wawzonek says the department has offered various types of support to Tu Cho to try and build capacity within the organization. That support includes funding for a freight truck to move fish from Hay River to Yellowknife.

"That didn't prove to go very smoothly," she said. 

The department, according to Wawzonek, also gave funding to hire a general manager and seconded staff for training. She added it also paid for a review that gave Tu Cho more than 20 recommendations on building capacity and training. 

"It's just been a lot of different ways to try to look at how to support them," she said. 

Wawzonek said that the ultimate goal was to have N.W.T. fishers "be the ones that are really in charge of the industry and have an ownership stake."

'A guaranteed price'

Wawzonek says selling to FFCM gives fishers "a floor, it gives them a guaranteed price."

Buckley said he wants to see the fish plant succeed and the FFMC has the experience and is the right group, right now, to get the plant operational.

"It makes sense because the territorial government is gonna wanna protect their investment. It makes sense to me," he said.

Buckley said on top of that the FFMC is offering fishers $2.10 a pound, plus a subsidy. He says that's a good price, and a guaranteed income for fishers.

"Freshwater is taking the bull by the horns," he said. 

Buckley started his career in the commercial fishing industry with a credit from the FFMC. He said that credit, combined with hard work, allowed him to provide for himself and his family ever since.

"I fed my family and I fed them well," Buckley said. "I'll never do anything else except fish, I love it."