Williston, ND, April 12, 2017: North Star Caviar regrets to announce the plant closure for the 2017 season. The change in the caviar market price and supply in 2016 due to the Chinese farm raised product flooding the market has critically affected North Star Caviar operations. This past year, North Star Caviar experienced a drastic decrease in the sale of its well-known paddlefish caviar from the Confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri River. As a non-profit joint venture, North Star Caviar relies on the sale of its caviar each year in order to provide services, grants and paddlefish research. Already unable to provide grant funding in 2017, efforts to continue to move product have been unsuccessful. Therefore, the Board of North Star Caviar has voted to suspend providing the fish cleaning service for the 2017 paddlefish season. This change in market has caused the loss of about 20 jobs that have existed for the last 25 years at North Star Caviar. The fishing season itself will go forward according to the ND game and fish regulations. Further details will be published as they become available.
“North Star Caviar is working with North Dakota Game and Fish to try and cover the collection of jaw samples and field dressing of the fish,” says Greg Hennessy, Chair of the North Star Board and co-founder of the venture. “Our thanks to all the fisherman in-state and out-of-state that have partnered with us over the years.”
North Star Caviar will continue to watch the market, hopeful that a change in the market will allow for the fish cleaning service to be provided again in 2018.
North Star Caviar is a unique non-profit company, founded in 1993 as a joint venture of two non-profit organizations between the Williston Area Chamber of Commerce and the Friends of Fort Union/Fort Buford. The first portion of each year’s proceeds from the sale of caviar is directed to the Game and Fish Department for paddlefish research, information, and enforcement. The remaining proceeds are granted back to non-profit groups in the region for historical, cultural, and recreational projects and efforts which improve conditions of habitat and land and water access for outdoor activities.
Reader Comments(0)