NR-HQ-01-13E

Dhaliwal announces appointment of new Chairman to the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation

February 22, 2001

OTTAWA -- Herb Dhaliwal, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, today announced the appointment of Mr. Jim Bear as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation (FFMC). Mr. Bear will serve as Chairman until January 26, 2004.

"Mr. Bear’s experience in policy, administration and in a leadership role within the Aboriginal community will make him an excellent Chairman of the FFMC," said Mr. Dhaliwal. "I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Sam Murdock for his dedicated service as Chairman of the Board of Directors over the past five years."

Mr. Bear has served as chair or board member of numerous Aboriginal and mainstream organizations in Manitoba and is currently a political advisor with the Southeast Tribal Council. He has been actively involved as a representative in various capacities, including as co-founder and tribal director of the Southeast Tribal Council and Vice-Chief, Assembly of First Nations.

The FFMC’s Board of Directors consists of a Chairman, a President, one Director for each of the participating provinces (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and Ontario) and the Northwest Territories and four other Directors appointed by the federal government.

The FFMC is a Crown corporation established in 1969 under the Freshwater Fish Marketing Act to improve returns to fishermen, while operating on a self-sustaining basis. The corporation regulates interprovincial and export trade in freshwater fish, fish products and by-products from the freshwater commercial fisheries in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, the Northwest Territories and northwestern Ontario.