August 31, 2018
Staff from the Departments of Industry, Tourism and Investment (ITI) and Infrastructure were in Hay River August 22nd to discuss preliminary design options for a new fish plant.
Representatives of the NWT Fisher’s Federation engaged directly with engineers and designers on technical and practical details that will now be incorporated into the next stage of the design process.
The construction of a new processing plant in Hay River is a critical component of the GNWT revitalization strategy for the Great Save Lake Fishery. In addition to facilitating the continued shipment of Great Slave Lake fish to the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation, a new state-of-the-art, Canadian Food Inspection Agency-approved, fish plant will allow the NWT fishers’ Tu Cho Co-operative to process their catch and package standard fish products like fresh and frozen fillets for direct sale outside the NWT.
The GNWT and Tu Cho Cooperative are hoping that a new plant can be open and operating by the summer of 2020. In the meantime, the revitalization Strategy also identifies the need for new fishers, new markets and the establishment of collection points in Yellowknife and Fort Resolution, with transportation links to the Hay River Fish Plant.
As demand increases for Great Slave Lake Fish locally, nationally and internationally; so will returns to fishers, providing opportunity for jobs and improving food security.

