Partnership:

Introduction;

In May 1998, Federal Fisheries Minister David Anderson made an historic announcement pertaining to the future of salmon on Canada’s pacific coast.  A new beginning in fisheries management, a beginning that BC Aboriginal Fisheries Commission welcomed.  That beginning was a program that would see the development of alternative gears that would enable Commercial and First Nation fishers to harvest selectively.  A quote that is well understood by our group is “Conservation first, harvesting second”.

This quote is well understood by everyone.  Many of our wild fish stocks in BC have been depleted to a point of near extinction.   First Nations have constitutionally protected rights to fish for food, social and ceremonial purposes. Those rights are inextricably linked to the genetically distinct salmon stocks that have returned to our waters for thousands of years.  In some cases, rights to harvest specific species have been denied for years.  When this begins to happen, people wind up losing some of their culture that is an integral part of all societies.  It is believed that the only way to protect the rights of First Nation communities is to go back centuries and begin using the traditional methods of selective fishing; traps, drift nets, dip nets and weirs used by the coastal and interior nations since time immemorial.  We also respect the fact that other gears can be developed and used such as fish wheels, beach seines, and modified gear on commercial boats.

What is selective fishing?

Selective fishing means “the ability to target and capture fish by species, size or sex during harvesting operations, allowing all bycatch to be released unharmed.  Bycatch may include small (juvenile) fish, non-target fish species, and other marine wildlife encountered during fishing practices.  Additionally the term bycatch includes non-target stocks of fish.

Our Believes in Alternative Gear Types;

The Leq'á:mel, Kwantlen, and Matsqui First Nations, with Xa’;ytem Long House and Interpretative Centre, Commercial, and Recreational fishers form the Fraser River Scientific Development & Selective Harvest Partnership (FRSDSHP) whom is one of several groups that believe in the alternative gear fishery (Selective Fishing).  We believe that this fishery is going to play a major roll in the fishing industry over the next decade.  The technology that is used to construct these special alternative gears such as fish wheels, floating fish weirs, beach seines, and tooth tangle nets, can further enhance a successful conservation-based harvest of plentiful species while respecting the need to safely release sensitive species. 

These methods of fishing can and do offer great opportunities to collect much needed data on the habitual patterns of the returning species as well as collecting DNA to analyse fish health.  These alternative gears have proven to be very productive in the recent years, as others did many years ago such as the fish wheel.  For example, the fish wheel was implemented in the Columbia River in the late 1870’s.  There were days between the 1870’s and 1930’s that there where 35 tons of salmon caught by a fish wheel in one day.  Another large benefit to harvesters is that the sale of the salmon is beginning to take a large leap in price because the presentation and the freshness of the product is in high demand.  A salmon unharmed with little or no stress at all after being caught can be placed in a holding pen within it’s native water and survive for many days.    From a scientific aspect this method of harvest shows very little stress on captured fish, which makes DNA sampling, spaghetti tagging, and radio tagging much more fish friendly as well as more productive.  The studies have shown stress level as low as 0.9% when the fish are trapped in a floating fish weir.  This is a significant drop in the stress levels of captured fish.  We know the fish will survive when it is released.  And the chances of the data being collected from the tag are higher now, because a helpful Fisher may catch it or it will be noticed during a carcass count on some river, slough, or creek bank and the data will be collected.

Benefits;

There is a large value in the alternative gear fishery for everyone.  The more selective gear operations there are, the more information collected from each selective fishing group the more we will learn about our fish and how they behave in our rivers.

Another benefit is people that are involved are going to get training in new fishing technologies.  As this training is being learned, and data is being collected from all the participant’s, policy can be placed to look after our salmon now and in the future.  And it may end up being that more labour intensive selective fishing methods will be a reasonable way of looking after these stocks.

Here is an idea we would like people to stop and think about.  For instance Steelhead caught and killed in a gillnet during a mixed-stock fishery is a large loss.  However, a Steelhead caught by an angler from Vancouver could possibly represent $1000 or more in economic activity.  Anglers come out to your town purchasing goods and services, and then catch Steelhead only for the fun and then release the fish.

Value added:

Over the years BC wild salmon product prices have jumped up and down, but this is beginning to change.  With the alternative gear fishery being a more fish friendly way of going about harvesting the product.  Presentation of the wild salmon alone has multiplied its value. For reasons such as in a gillnet fishery the product gets bruised and marked from the net that is used to harvest.  However these alternative gears do not harm the fish so there are no marks or bruises on the fish and sales begin to rise.  In addition, the FRSDSHP will only deal with value added processing plants for one good reason and that is because they use the entire product, which means no waste.  Each part of the fish is used.  For instance, the meat will be smoked, canned or vacuum sealed raw, while the rest of the product is being used for pet foods and fertilizer. So not only have revenues grown, but also there is responsible waste management being practised in these plants. Using these methods of harvesting and processing will raise the fishermen’s value from what was $0.20lb up to $1.50lb.

Conclusion;

The FRSDSHP along with many other groups are looking out for the future of our BC wild salmon.  The FRSDSHP feels that an alternative gear fishery may be a part of the answer to rejuvenating our salmon stocks.  All fisheries have an impact on our fish but we must understand fishing plays a large roll in our BC economy.  If the proper fishing practices are used it’ll definitely play a part in the conservation of our BC wild salmon stocks.  Alternative gear fisheries can further enhance conservation-based harvests of the plentiful species while respecting the need to release the sensitive species.  A selective gear fishery will build our economy by creating a more labour intensive commercial fishery.   

Author:

Darrel McKamey, Project Coordinator.

Information Provided by;

The Fraser River Scientific Development & Selective Harvest Partnership
Leq'á:mel First Nation
Matsqui First Nation
Kwantlen First Nation
BC Aboriginal Fisheries Commission
Department of Fisheries and Oceans

ADVOCATES OF THE NICOMEN ECOLOGICALWATERSHED (ANEW)

The Advocates of the Nicomen Ecological Watershed (ANEW) are a community-based group that wishes to bring together all of the groups that have ecological, cultural, social and economic, interests in the area.  When fully established, this group may become a "Roundtable" eligible to work towards the collective community vision.

Our Vision:

"An ecologically, culturally, socially, and economically healthy Nicomen Watershed"

Our Objectives:

1. Establishing a fully-represented Nicomen Roundtable

2. Incorporating the interests, experiences, and values of all parties concerned with the Nicomen Watershed

3. Restoring the Nicomen watershed to a sustainable condition

4. Enhancing the local sense of community stewardship of the watershed

5. Undertaking a strategically planned, cooperative, coordinated, and well communicated watershed management approach in working towards our collective vision.

Current Participation:

During the present, ANEW enjoys the participation of a number of individuals, including community residents and staff from various different agencies and organizations.

 

Participation, defined as being interested in the group, currently includes:

• Local landowners

• Leq'a:mel First Nation

• Inch Creek Hatchery (Department of Fisheries and Oceans)

• Sasquatch Lions

• Fraser Valley Regional District

• Community Futures Development Corporation of North FrasER

• Sto:lo Nation

• School District #75

• Northwest Naturescapes

• Canadian Forest Products

• Nicomen Island Improvement District
  North Nicomen Dyking District

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