Correct me if I am wrong, but don't FNs require a food permit to retain fish on a non-retentive river? Otherwise, they are required to follow the same rules as us? Why not bring up the matter up with the tribe that issues the food permits on cowichan? They would be able to tell you if any Steelhead permits were issued or not.
I personally ask them all the time if they have their food permit. When asked, the FN will either show you it, say he doesn't need to show you anything, pack up and leave immediately or try to call your bluff and have the COs deal with them. And out of the few years I've been fishing on Vancouver island, I have only came across 1 FN with a Food permit.
That being said, majority of FNs, particularly the ones I know that fish the rivers are quite considerate and respectful to the resource, it's the few bad apples that give the rest of them a bad rep. But I also see a fair number of non FNs that disregards all rules and fish illegally. So really, it comes down narrow minded selfish individuals that are ruining it for all of us. Not a specific race or minority.
I personally witness a group of young individuals during the coho run this past season that weren't FNs, poaching wilds in the river... I mean, slicing off the adipose fin to look like a hatchery, bonking snagged fish, and getting there limit, go back to their vehicle, then limiting out multiple times in a single day.
