Fresh pickerel now for sale

There is nothing better than a fish fry that features fresh Lake Nipissing pickerel and now residents as well as tourists can stop by the waterfront and buy fresh certified Nipissing First Nation pickerel.

Thursday marked a historic event as The Old Chief Fish Market opened its doors making it the first time that the general public can purchase the fresh local catch in a retail setting.

“It means that our netters are able to get a fair market price for their fish,” explains Nipissing First Nation Chief, Marianna Couchie.

“They had always under sold it so it’s a benefit for them so that they receive proper prices for their efforts.”

The fish is harvested with the environment in mind focusing on the health of the lake and sustainability of the stock. The catch is cleaned and processed in a sanitary facility and the market has been designed as part of a long-term plan to help keep Lake Nipissing healthy.

“That’s our historic responsibility, it’s in our teachings ... that’s in the way that we are to conduct ourselves and we know we are responsible for the water and the fish, for the environment and by fishing sustainably we know that there will be fish for generations to come,” says the chief.

This opening marks a new page in history for the community and for the Nipissing First Nation as the demand increases the industry will grow and officials have their hopes set on a processing plant in the future.

“That door is open now so that we can assist the netters in getting a fair price and the restaurants in town can buy from us and we will do it in a sustainable manner.”

Supplies are limited based on the number of catch that are harvested and this follows the certification process that has been put in place to ensure that a healthy stock of pickerel is maintained in the Lake Nipissing.

The market is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 12:30 to 6:30pm at the Old Boat Dock and Grill on North Bay’s beautiful waterfront.