A trapper’s table in Prince Albert in Dec. 2015. Photo by Chelsea Laskowski
Events happening a half a world away are hurting Saskatchewan’s wild fur trade.
One of the biggest customers is Russia, says the Saskatchewan Trappers Association. With Russia facing trade sanctions from western countries and mired in a depression because of the collapse of world oil prices, it’s just not buying fur right now.
Trapping is not an easy way to make a living but for some northern Saskatchewan residents, it’s a way of life. This is not the first time the industry has taken a major hit , said the president of the Saskatchewan Trappers Association, Don Gordon. In the ‘80s it was the anti-fur movement that drove down demand and prices.
Gordon says some trappers will choose to move on because the returns are just not there, but he says others will work harder and smarter to survive.
“I don’t think they are going to go away, I just think you are going to see it slow down,” he says. “They bounce back in good numbers: the interest in people trapping is there, but as I said before, there must be a return.”
The market for Saskatchewan wild furs is overseas in Russia, China, and Europe. The economic crises in Greece is pushing down demand for fur, while China is using domestically-raised raccoon rather than buying wild.
Gordon says there are still some bright spots.
“You are going to see the guys go out and catch a certain amount of furs in the bush. In the south, the guys are trapping coyotes and that seems to be the target and there seems to be a fair interest for that right now,” he says.
North American Fur Auctions generally holds a big wild fur sale in September, but this year the international clearing house decided to cancel it. Prices have been dropping since June and there were fears an auction this month could cause further declines.
Prices are down for raccoon, beaver, and even lynx. Coyote and wild sable are still doing well. North American Fur Auctions has decided to post its unsold inventory online and to head to China this fall to try to spark more interest.