Fur, Agriculture and Fisheries

Agriculture, fisheries, trapping and commercial game harvesting generate income and employment for many NWT residents.  Approximately 700 people participate in trapping, contributing an estimated $830,000 in sales to the economy. Wild fur from the Northwest Territories is considered among the very best in the world, and generally commands a high price at auction. Marten and lynx have the highest fur value, while other furs trapped include wolverine, wolf and muskrat.

Several small farms and greenhouses are supplying fresh vegetables in season to some of the larger communities.  Although a fairly large portion of the Northwest Territories is arable, much of it is currently covered in boreal forest, considered by some to be a world resource worth preserving. Potentially arable lands in the southern NWT are reserved from development pending land selection by the Dehcho and Akaitcho First Nations.

The Northwest Territories is home to two of the world’s largest lakes, Great Bear and Great Slave Lake. Although they both freeze over in winter, there is a year round commercial fishery on Great Slave Lake, with fishermen operating out of Hay River and Yellowknife. The Northwest Territories supplies about one percent of Canadian freshwater fish. Round whitefish makes up the majority of the lake’s total harvest. This is a superior product due to the pristine nature of the lake and its cold waters. While the majority of NWT fish is sold through the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation to US consumers, there is a growing local market of restaurants and consumers seeking out top notch local food.