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A California-based group says the commercial fisheries on Manitoba’s three largest lakes are the worst-managed in the world.

Seafood Watch of Monterey, Calif., is asking consumers not to buy fish taken from lakes Winnipeg, Manitoba and Winnipegosis – the source of 81 per cent of the fish caught in the province.

In a statement, the group says an assessment of the lakes, conducted with its Vancouver partner SeaChoice, shows many fish stocks have collapsed or are severely depleted.

READ MORE: Bacteria, parasites and toxins – water quality ‘negligence’ at Shoal Lake 40

Manitoba’s commercial fishers argue that fish stocks in the lakes are healthy, and that the assessment is based on paper reports and not actual lake conditions.

About 85 per cent of the fish caught in the province every year are exported to U.S. and European markets.

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Manitoba’s freshwater fishery is the second-biggest in North America by volume, after the Great Lakes.