• Government fish marketing board racks up expensive meals, golf membership, big booze bills, NHL tickets, Air Canada lounge memberships, car bills, car washes, ritzy hotel bills, etc.
• Fishermen again call for choice - to be able to sell fish on own, rather than being forced to sell to the marketing board

WINNIPEG, MB: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation(CTF)  and frustrated fishermen released questionable expense records today from a federal government crown corporation - Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation (FFMC.) The fishermen are angry at the expenses and are again calling for freedom to be able to decide who to sell their catch to.

FFMC is a fish marketing board that commercial fishermen in Manitoba, Alberta, Yukon and Ontario must sell their catch to. As of April 1, the Saskatchewan government has given their fishermen the freedom to decide - sell their catch on their own or to FFMC.

The large expense tabs ultimately reduce the amount fishermen are paid for their catch from the crown corporation. Some of the more questionable expenses, obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation through the Access to Information process, include:

• 5 nights, $2435 hotel bill
• 2 colleagues, three meals, $594
• $1,281 “golf dues” at Glendale (CEO membership?)
• €6.50 on “savuke” in Finland (translates as “cigarettes”)
• 4 Minnesota Wild (NHL) tickets $340
• 8 people, $1,684 dinner
• 6 people, $1,450 dinner
• 7 people, $656 golf
• 11 people, $1,168 dinner
• Air Canada Maple Leaf Club Memberships $850
• 3 people, $501 dinner
• 2 tickets, $300 for child protection gala (nothing to do with fish selling mandate)
• 3-4 people, $518 golf
• 6 people, $760 dinner
• 5 people, $100 dinner
• 4 people, $380 dinner
• 3 people, $544 dinner
• 4 people, $547 dinner
• 3 people, $579 dinner
• 3 people, $230 dinner
• $1,620 vehicle expense
• $224 vehicle service/cleaning
• Etc.

"Fishermen should not be forced to sell their catch to a government marketing board that regularly expenses $100 per person dinners," said CTF Prairie Director Colin Craig. "It's time for the federal government to let fishermen decide if they want to sell their fish on their own or to the marketing board."

"It's infuriating that we're forced to sell our catch to a government marketing board that expenses golf memberships, car washes and Air Canada Executive lounge memberships," said Amanda Stevenson, a local fishermen. "Those expensive bills reduce the amount fishermen receive for their catch from the marketing board. It's time to let Fishermen decide if they want to sell own their own or to the marketing board."

To view the expenses:

Part 1 – Click here
Part 2 – Click here
Part 3 – Click here