spe OMIING

INDUSTRY

Security for Our Fishermen

OMMERCIAL fishing operations occupy a major position in

C Saskatchewan’s economy. More than 4,000 men and women

are directly engaged in the industry during the fishing season.
Many hundreds more are employed indirectly.

Living in the heart of the prairie grain belt where the main con- |
cern is with the prospects of a bumper autumn harvest, many do not
realize the size or importance of Saskatchewan’s commercial fishing
operations. We are inclined to forget that we are all partners in

Saskatchewan's natural resources, that we own the fish found in our
lakes and streams, just as we own the forests and minerals.

In the lake-dotted northland, where the industry means food,
clothing and the comforts of home for the fisherman and his family,
it is, of course, a different story. There, everyone realizes that millions
of pounds of delicious, tasty fish from Saskatchewan’s northern lakes
are purchased annually by the home and United States markets.

To bring real security and stability to the fishing industry, the
Department of Natural Resources and Industrial Development has
embarked upon a concrete program to re-vitalize the fishing industry.
It has followed a course outlined by its minister, Hon. J. L. Phelps,
when he said: “The Government of Saskatchewan bases its policy of
natural resources development on its belief that these resources belong
to the people of the province and may not be exploited as a special
privilege for the financial benefit of a small minority.”

Foremost in the government’s plans has been the establishment
by the Natural Resources Department of the Saskatchewan Fish Board

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