Northern fur harvesters hope for stable 2015

Up North5:19Northern trappers face falling prices for pelts

Fur Harvesters in Northern Ontario are facing a bit of an uphill battle this year with their product. And this time it has more to do with international affairs, than animal rights activists. Mark Downey is the CEO of North Bay fur harvesters.Northern Ontario fur harvesters should have a decent year in the marketplace in 2015, despite the fact that prices for their product stopped rising in the past year or so.

In an interview on the CBC's Up North program, the CEO of the North Bay Fur Harvesters said like any commodity, fur has its peaks and valleys.

“Everything fell into place a couple of years ago perfectly,” Mark Downey said.

“Last year, everything went the other way, but prices are still going to be at a level where trappers can still make money, pay their expenses and put a little bit of money in the pocket.”

Downey said across the region and around the world, fur prices had a drop last year.

He said the drop was due to China and Russia.

“There’s quite a steep import tax in China,” he said.

“There was a change in government two years ago.”

Downey said that change in government resulted in a crackdown in all sectors and the market was affected as some high profile fur buyers owed back taxes.

He said last March, conflict in the Ukraine and Russia caused sanctions to be put in place, affecting the fur trade.

Downey said on average over the last ten years, northern Ontario trappers have been averaging $50 to $60 on fur from large species.

He said after a jump in prices two years ago, trappers can expect to continue to get the ten year average on fur.