Eskimo commercial fisheries

Extract

Arctic char, long a favourite food with the Eskimos, has recently been finding a ready market throughout Canada and the United States. With the increasing concentration of Eskimo populations in settlements, and with their increasing dependence on “white man's” food and equipment, it has become essential to stimulate means of increasing cash income. It was with this in mind that the Department of Northern Affairs and National Resources carried out an experimental project to introduce Arctic char to the southern market in 1958. During the season, about 1,500 lb. were shipped on ice to Montreal and Toronto by air, and were distributed to a number of the best restaurants. Its reception by customers was so enthusiastic that a repeat order for more than the original 1,500 lb. was received in a matter of days.