Wild Freshwater Fish
Freshwater Fish from the Pristine Waters of Canada
Manitoba’s 649,947 km² land area is larger than Japan and twice the size of the U.K. It also has approximately 100,000 lakes ranging from small to huge ones like Lake Winnipeg, Lake Winnipegosis, and Lake Manitoba.
Clean Water + Clean Air = Fresh Wild Fish
Manitoba’s fishing industry produces 25% of the freshwater fish catch in Canada. Manitoba produces over 80% of the export value and over 70% of the landed harvested weight of the freshwater fish industry in Canada. As of latest data up to 2011/12, there were 1,845 licensed fishers in Manitoba. Fish harvest occurs annually from November 15 to June 30.
Commercial Fishery
Between 2009 and 2015, Manitoba's commercial fisheries produced an average of almost 11.4 million kg of fish annually. Walleye comprise the greatest portion of production by weight (46%), followed by Lake Whitefish (19%), Northern Pike (15%), Suckers (12%), and Sauger (3%).
Over 80% of commercially caught fish in Manitoba traditionally have been destined for international markets primarily in the United States and Europe. Of the total value of Manitoba fish exports, 60 % is sales in USA, 24 % is comprised of sales into European markets, and 16 % is sales within Canada.