Bella Bella FN vs. DFO/Herring fleet

[hambone]

Interesting to see how this one plays out...

RCMP descend on native community on central coast to keep the peace in herring fishery row

The federal government has chosen a remote stretch of B.C. coastline to square off against aboriginals in a fight over an imminent commercial roe-herring fishery.

Federal fisheries minister Gail Shea is being blamed for an escalating conflict over a forthcoming commercial gillnet fishery that has resulted in RCMP descending on B.C.’s central coast to guard against potential interference by Heiltsuk natives.

The Heiltsuk have issued a statement saying, “We will exercise our authority to stop any commercial herring activity in our territories. We will protect our aboriginal rights to the fullest extent possible should commercial fishers not abide by the ban.”

In an interview Thursday, Heiltsuk councillor Reg Moody said he appreciates that the police have a job to do and that no one wants to see anyone get hurt. But natives are also committed to protecting herring stocks in their traditional waters.

“It’s real,” he said of the prospect for confrontation. “If a gillnetter is going to put his net in the water, it’s gonna be easy for me to drop a tree in the water in its place. We could make it difficult ... put trees in the areas where they plan to fish.”

Moody placed the responsibility for events squarely on the minister’s shoulders. “Our position has always been that we’re not unreasonable, but there has to be some fundamental changes made. It could have been avoided. We could work collectively.”

Shea, a P.E.I. MP, declined The Vancouver Sun’s request for an interview.

Federal fisheries spokesman Tom Robbins insisted that “the herring fishery is a legitimate fishery backed by solid fisheries science” and aboriginals have been consulted.

“We stand strongly against violence on the water,” Robbins said. “The department is monitoring the situation and will take appropriate enforcement action if there are any Fisheries Act violations.”

There are 50 participants licensed to fish for roe in the central coast gillnet fishery, he added. Due to pooling up, only about 20 vessels, including punts and packers, are expected to participate.

Ian McAllister of the environmental group Pacific Wild estimated more than 20 RCMP and up to six patrol vessels are now based in Shearwater on Denny Island near Bella Bella. “If you add up the daily police presence, overtime, boat fuel, planes going back and forth, it’s just ridiculous.”

RCMP Cpl. Dave Tireman would not confirm how many police are in the Bella Bella due to “operational reasons,” but noted police are there to keep the peace.

“We’re sitting in the back row of the bus,” he said. “We have to remain neutral. We’re there to make sure everything is safe and everything is peaceful.”

Three aboriginal groups along the B.C. coast have protested commercial herring-roe fisheries this season.

The Nuu-chah-nulth obtained a federal court injunction Feb. 21 blocking a commercial fishery on the west coast of Vancouver Island. The decision came after an internal memo revealed Shea overruled recommendations of scientists in her own department. Shea recommended opening the fishery in three disputed areas and in a hand-printed note alongside her signature wrote, “The minister agrees to an opening at a conservative 10-per-cent harvest rate for the 2014 fishing season.”

For every region on the coast, a “commercial cutoff” is established based on the health of herring stocks in that region. When stocks exceed the cutoff, commercial fishing is allowed at rates as high as 20 per cent of the biomass.

The Heiltsuk are asking the minister to add an 18,000-tonne “cushion” to that cutoff to help ensure sufficient stocks for aboriginals.

Natives plan to proceed with a 108-tonne spawn-on-kelp fishery this year on the central coast. Said McAllister: “It is a truly sustainable alternative to the industrial model that has killed herring stocks across the province.”

The federal government is appealing the federal court decision in the Nuu-chah-nulth case.

The Herring Industry Advisory Board supports the minister’s decision to allow the openings, but announced in a news release March 17 that the fishing industry, federal government and Haida had reached an agreement to forego both a commercial fishery and an aboriginal spawn-on-kelp fishery. “It was deemed more appropriate to stand down for this year to limit conflict with the Haida and work toward ensuring the science is good for next year,” said board chair Greg Thomas.

He noted that herring stocks are “near historic highs” in the Strait of Georgia, with seiners catching just over 6,800 tonnes and gillnetters just over 5,400 tonnes this season. That may help to explain the presence of herring spawning locally, including Boundary Bay, where they have reportedly not been seen in years.

A coast-wide herring harvest was set at 30,932 tonnes this year for all types of fisheries, including 9,829 tonnes for commercial seine boats, 8,865 tonnes for commercial gillnetters, and 3,383 tonnes for two spawn-on-kelp categories.

The roe-herring fishery had an allocation of 17,871 tonnes in 2014, compared with 13,703 tonnes in 2013, 11,793 tonnes in 2012, and 14,375 tonnes in 2011.

lpynn@vancouversun.com

Follow me: @LPynn

 

[Jencourt]

He noted that herring stocks are “near historic highs” in the Strait of Georgia,

I question this statement heavily. Also would ask him what other scientific monitoring and data collection equating to accurate stock assessments is being done outside of the area that has a fishery.( Mostly area 14 as of late). I would also question decisions to create more openings considering the suggestions that funding cuts may very likely lead to proper assessments only being done every second year.While still allowing yearly harvests.

IMHO this insistence to maintain the harvest of such a "keystone species" needs to stop. Yes I know they supposedly manage it to a max of something like 15% exploitation. (Not positive on the exact max but 15% would be close)And suggestions of 10% have been made for the new openings proposed. I would ask that everyone remembers that this is 10-15% of today's biomass. History tells us clearly that with the exception of a couple areas that equals 10-15 % of a much smaller than historical biomass's coast wide combined.Again I question that any areas are even close to what they once equaled.

The problem with this as I see it is that it has been so very bad for so many years that every time there is a small positive push back by mother nature the industry wants to bump up harvest. Eually as damaging is the fact that so many people have never seen how it was that they immediately buy in and promote the "It's the best it's ever been" BS Best it has ever been since wen???

As far as I am concerned the harvest of herring should be limited to a fraction of what it is now and should only support the needs of domestic food and bait. The row fishery should stop. We see way too much recently about how scientists are questioning if the ocean has enough food to support the added and in Canada's case desired efforts of hatchery production. yet the very people depending on the fact that there is, promote and fight for the harvest of some of the most fundamental foundation species of that food chain.

I hope the FN groups mentioned are successful in their efforts. I also hope it is not to an end that equates to them developing the fishery and marketing in future years.

 

[wstcoaster]

my understanding of this issue is simple a few years ago minister of fisheries signed a memorandum to salmon farms that herring or other fish would be made available; as needed for feed for salmon farms;... lately dfo has been approving more farms ; ect ; but feed for these farms is not ; readiavailable; so opened season when own science says herring stocks on west coast van isle and central coast are in poor shape to satisfy fish farmers need for herring carcases from roe herring to make salmon feed; natives seem to be the only wise ones to whats up and are trying to save our resources from political crap from Ottawa...

 

[Klob]

Shut it down

 

[terrin]

I agree with the above comments. The oldtimers i talked to 20 years ago told me of the herring balls off pt grey, pt atkinson and horseshoe bay. They used to go in behingd the ferries when they departed and sliced up herring which the salmon were there to feed on. Why not let them rebuild and with the new method of wrapping the creosoted pilings with a spawning cloth we might actually be able to see a herring ball in the how sound again.

 

[Andrew P]

He noted that herring stocks are “near historic highs” in the Strait of Georgia

That is an infuriating statement!!

Also, in the debate on how much stock can safely ever be taken, it is important to remember that what there strategy is with the roe herring fishery; they are targeting the oldest females and are really good at it with different size nets, test fishing, etc. If 10-20% is the range that DFO uses on the TOTAL BIOMASS, then it would be interesting to see what proportion of the oldest breeding females are taken. A healthy herring population would be made up of first time spawners along with 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th......etc (herring would live 15-20 years if allowed to, and produce more eggs each year that the last). We, as humans, don't allow this to happen any more and as result of systematically removing the most profitable females, there are many areas that do not see spawning anymore, because the wise old women are not around to show the younger generation.

If there is to be any sustainable future in herring roe fishing, this non-sense needs to end and roe on kelp (which of course lets the fish come back next year, and the year after, and after...) is the only really sustainable way in my eyes.

I strongly support the stance on our native brothers in the north and wish them luck in stopping this WRONG fishery.

 

[fish4all]

If there is to be any sustainable future in herring roe fishing, this non-sense needs to end and roe on kelp (which of course lets the fish come back next year, and the year after, and after...) is the only really sustainable way in my eyes.

I strongly support the stance on our native brothers in the north and wish them luck in stopping this WRONG fishery.

Hahahaha you have got to be kidding. Do you have any idea how that fishery is conducted?

1) Bella Bella consistently harvested way beyond their allocation every year for almost a decade. No **** the stocks tumbled.
2) Every other area was heavily monitored at a cost of $5000 per license except for this area as DFO knew the black market was huge.
3) every leaf available was harvested and brought to town where the band filled buckets until they flooded the markets then shoveled tons and tons of dead eggs off the dock that they couldn't sell .yup true conservationists.
4) Lastly this fishery does nothing more than give the band members enough earnings in a week to qualify for ei.

 

[sammyslabber]

Hahahaha you have got to be kidding. Do you have any idea how that fishery is conducted?


4) Lastly this fishery does nothing more than give the band members enough earnings in a week to qualify for ei.

Surely fish4commies remembers his sectors ui stamp collecting days...fishing dogs added more weeks to their ui cards...yep it probably also financed their winter vacations in the Philippines...

 

[fish4all]

Surely fish4commies remembers his sectors ui stamp collecting days...fishing dogs added more weeks to their ui cards...yep it probably also financed their winter vacations in the Philippines...

Again learn a bit before posting misinformation. Fishing claims don't use weeks it's based on earnings.

 

[sammyslabber]

Again learn a bit before posting misinformation. Fishing claims don't use weeks it's based on earnings.

talkin old school...not an old fool from the new herring school...

 

[agentaqua]

To add a bit of context to this conversation: there are large differences between the various herring "fisheries".

The one generally considered to have the smallest fisheries/ecological impacts is called the Roe-on-Kelp (or RoK) or Spawn-on-Kelp (SoK) fishery where herring ponds are constructed, ripe herring are live-seined and placed in the pond to do it like they do it on the Discovery Channel, kelp is placed inside - and the fish are released after spawning (herring can spawn multiple times within their limited life cycle). The roe and the kelp are then lightly salted and packed in totes and sent away to the Asian market.

Then there are the so-called "kill" fisheries: gill-net, seine, and roe-only. The Roe fishery (NOT to be confused with the RoK fishery) utilizes only the unfertilized eggs taken from the females. I'm not sure what happens to the rest of the catch - dead males and dead eviscerated females. Maybe fish feed for the net-pen industry? I'm not sure. Maybe someone else on this forum has an insight.

The roe (only) fishery is therefore generally considered to be the most unsustainable fishery.

The Central Coast First Nations have already considered this in their marine plans which have ecosystem-based management plans. The 2011 draft plan can be found at:
https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=...llIBIu0u6dIhdqCMpL36jeA&bvm=bv.63808443,d.cWc

The zoning in the Spatial Planning for the four Central Coast First Nations allows Spawn on Kelp (SOK) fisheries at a lower level of abundance, but will not permit a Roe Herring (kill) fishery unless the soundings show an abundance above 37,500 tons of herring in DFO Areas 7 through 9. In pages 53-54 - it details that the agreed-to herring biomass action levels for DFO areas 7, 8, and 9 are that:

1/ Below 17,600 Tons herring - there will be no fisheries at all.
2/ Between 17,600 tons and 37,600 tons - there will be RoK (or Roe on Kelp) non-kill fisheries only.
3/ Above the 37,600 ton conservation level - that is when herring kill fisheries (seine and gillnet) will be allowed.

The newest update of herring biomass estimates are:

Area 7 - 7,315 tons (March 30th)
Area 8 - 5,930 tons (March 30th)
Area 9 - 2,250 tons (March 23rd)
Areas 7, 8, and 9 COMBINED - 15,495 tons herring

Originally the Federal Government was engaged in the Spatial Planning process through PNCIMA, but they withdrew after their Enbridge buddies kicked-up a fuss. The Central Coast First Nations (including the Heiltsuk) are completing the Spatial/Marine planning with the provincial government, and will engage with the Federal government, including DFO, in the next stages.

DFO has not even acknowledged this Marine Plan - let alone use it to guide decisions on openings. So far - the media has not picked-up on this, as well.

 

[wstcoaster]

roe on kelp operations are not as clean as natives would like people to think; sometimes overcrowding fish in pens to get them to start spawning results in the whole pen of herring to die; in this case all are dumped and just start again; the only clean way is to have open pens strung with kelp and towed to where the spawning occurs; pens are open on one side and fish enter and do their thing; and leave alive; this is not the common way of doing things by natives but they know of it; its more work than they like so little used; easier to ******** the white man; that they are enviorment minded ********

 

[agentaqua]

roe on kelp operations are not as clean as natives would like people to think; sometimes overcrowding fish in pens to get them to start spawning results in the whole pen of herring to die; in this case all are dumped and just start again; the only clean way is to have open pens strung with kelp and towed to where the spawning occurs; pens are open on one side and fish enter and do their thing; and leave alive; this is not the common way of doing things by natives but they know of it; its more work than they like so little used; easier to ******** the white man; that they are enviorment minded ********

Pretty racist comments wc.

First Nations fish the same commercial licences as non-aboriginals, and use the same gear - including SoK operations. The only one slinging BS about being more "environmentally-friendly" than the next-door non-aboriginal commercial fishermen is you on this thread - certainly not me.

I think most rational thinkers see large differences in potential impacts between the different herring fisheries - as I detailed above.

 

[fish4all]

Pretty racist comments wc.

First Nations fish the same commercial licences as non-aboriginals, and use the same gear - including SoK operations. .

Not exactly accurate when it comes to specific fishies. The gear may be the same but the monitoring and accountability factors are not even in the same country let alone ballpark.

 

[agentaqua]

Not exactly accurate when it comes to specific fishies. The gear may be the same but the monitoring and accountability factors are not even in the same country let alone ballpark.

I often agree with your posts fish4all. This one - I cannot. The regular commercial fisheries executed by First Nations are subject to the same observing/reporting requirements as any other regular commercial fishery.

The FN commercial halibut fishery - as 1 example - utilizes Archipelago cameras and dockside monitoring to the tune of about ~$6-10k/boat/yr. The recreational fleet, and the lodges and the commercial recreational fleets do not have this requirement.

The FN commercial SoK fishery uses JO Thomas to the tune of about $3700/licence.

If you wish to verify these facts: J.O. Thomas phone # is: 1-800-663-3344; Archipelago's #: 1-250-383-4535

 

[agentaqua]

http://thetyee.ca/News/2014/04/03/H...ce=daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=030414

Heiltsuk Vow to Disrupt Central Coast Fisheries Reopening
Looming conflict between First Nation and feds traps herring fishermen in between.
By Kristian Secher

Kim Olsen, president of B.C.'s largest union representing fisheries workers, is frustrated that the conflict has escalated to this point. Photo by Emma Forsberg, Creative Commons licensed.

With commercial herring roe fisheries on B.C.'s central coast set to reopen at any moment, tension is rising between First Nations and the government, while fishermen remain caught in the middle.

In Bella Bella, the Heiltsuk Nation is preparing to block any attempts to catch herring by 20 commercial fishing vessels currently anchored in Shearwater, where they wait for fish to begin spawning.

The central coast has been closed to commercial herring fisheries since 2006, when the stock fell below levels acceptable to the government. While officials from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada claim herring levels have stabilized, the Heiltsuk maintain that levels are still too low. If commercial fishing returns in the area, the nation fears the entire stock could collapse.

"We have a responsibility to protect our herring stocks," said Heiltsuk chief councillor Marilyn Slett. When the fisheries open, some 40 boats with 90 Heiltsuk onboard will take to the water to disrupt the fishing, she vowed, adding that could happen any time now.

Twenty RCMP officers have descended on Denny Island close to Bella Bella to ensure no violence erupts. Slett said the added presence of law enforcement is welcome, as everyone's safety during a potential blockade is paramount.

Three nations move to block openings

The Heiltsuk have fought the reopening since December 2013, when Fisheries Minister Gail Shea announced her decision to reopen central coast operations, along with those on the west coast of Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii. All three areas have been closed for years, after herring levels dropped below the 25 per cent cut-off where commercial fishing is considered no longer sustainable.

The central coast is the last region slated for fisheries reopening. The Nuu-chah-nulth on the west coast of Vancouver Island successfully blocked the minister's decision by obtaining a federal court injunction in late February, and on March 17 the Haida Nation reached an agreement with industry in which both parties would stop fishing in 2014.

None of these options has worked for the Heiltsuk, said Slett, so they now have no choice but to physically block the reopening.

At the heart of the conflict is DFO's assessment of the herring stock. All three First Nations say it is wrong, but the department and Minister Shea remain adamant the assessment is "backed by solid fisheries science," as one ministry official told The Tyee.

Slett and her researchers at the Heiltsuk Integrated Resource Management Department disagree.

Their concern is backed by an internal DFO document which shows Minister Shea's decision to reopen the fisheries went against her own scientists' advice. They recommended the minister maintain closures in all three areas.

Slett described this as gross mismanagement of the government's duty to manage its fisheries. "It's not acceptable," she said.

Proposed harvest 'sustainable': industry

That's not how Greg Thomas, chairman of the Herring Industry Advisory Board, a group of herring fishermen and processor representatives, sees it. He said DFO's assessment indicates that herring stocks have been rebuilding and that there's no reason to be concerned about collapses.

A condition for the reopening was that commercial fishermen be allowed a conservative 10 per cent harvest rate. On the central coast, that amounts to 750 tonnes of herring, much less than the 1,100 tonnes allocated to First Nations, Thomas said.

"There's a significant opportunity for commercial fisheries here," he said, questioning why the Heiltsuk oppose commercial fishery activity while they plan to proceed with their own fisheries.

Slett said that the First Nations' traditional spawn-on-kelp fishery is much less invasive to the herring. Trees are lowered into open ponds, where captured herring then spawn on the trees. After a few weeks, the trees are raised up and the roe collected -- without killing the herring, she said -- as opposed to commercial fishing, where the roe is cut out of the herring and the carcasses processed for other purposes.

Thomas doesn't buy that comparison. He said no matter how the roe is removed, it still removes fish from the fishery. While commercial fishing does kill off all captured fish, spawn-on-kelp operations kill fish as well, he said, adding that in this case it has all been allocated for by DFO. "It's well within the bounds of sustainable fishing."

Federal science outdated: UBC scientist

Government's science is perhaps not as solid as the minister and industry might believe, said Professor Tony Pitcher, founding director of the Fisheries Centre at the University of British Columbia.

Pitcher said DFO is using an old-fashioned assessment that fails to consider the role of herring in the ecosystem. Species like humpback whales and salmon depend on herring, and in reality the current threshold should be set much higher to prevent collapse of the stock and ultimately the entire ecosystem, he said.

"You can't willingly pretend that these other roles of herring don't exist," said Pitcher, "but that's what DFO is doing at the moment."

Research over the past decade has pointed to the presence of local stocks, which DFO also overlooks in its assessment, said Pitcher. Instead, the department considers entire regions such as the central coast to host one or two major stocks -- but really, it should be closer to 30 or maybe 40 smaller, local stocks that return to spawn in the same areas, like that of Bella Bella, each year.

"So if you have a fishery in a local area, it could deplete that local stock completely," said Pitcher. And again, he said, if herring disappears from an area, it could potentially harm all other species dependent on the fish.

The Tyee was denied a request to speak with DFO scientists.

Pitcher takes issue with the minister not listening to her own advisors, but said there are other problems as well.

"Even if there were no ecological issues here -- and there are," he said, "when a bunch of First Nations are saying they don't want this opened, you're unwise to listen, aren't you?"

Kim Olsen, president of the United Fishermen and Allied Workers' Union, B.C.'s largest union representing fisheries workers, is frustrated that the conflict has escalated to this point.

He said most commercial fishermen would probably prefer not to be on the central coast right now, with the threat of conflict looming, but they don't have a choice. "Most of these guys are cash-strapped, so they have no alternative but to try and fish."

Some of the fishermen currently in the area are among the 50 who lost out on their license fees and catch revenue when the west coast of Vancouver Island was closed to fishing in February, he said. "They have to try and recoup some of their losses."

Olsen personally blames the federal fisheries department. "They told us we could go fish, and now we're caught between a rock and a hard place," he said, adding that DFO should compensate fishermen for their losses.

A ministry official wrote via email that "no consideration is being given to compensation at this time."

Thomas said not only fishermen will be losing out if the Heiltsuk block the fisheries -- it will have a domino effect in terms of economic losses.

Anyone working on the shore, unloading and processing herring will find themselves without a job at a time of year when there's not much else going on, said Thomas, adding that roe is a valuable export product. Harvests from the central coast alone would bring in millions of dollars, he said.

Thomas said the Herring Industry Advisory Board has met with the Heiltsuk on occasion, but that the nation "has not provided the industry with a lot of latitude."

"They persist with the view that the area can only be for them," he said. "That makes it difficult to come to an agreement."

In his opinion, the long term goals of the First Nations and the industry are not that far apart; both parties want a sustainable fishery, and the only disagreement seems to be over the definition of sustainable this year, with industry siding with the government's recommendations.

The discussion should not be about whether the fisheries should be opened or not; it should be about how all parties can find a compromise so no one loses out, said Thomas.

"Neither the First Nations or the industry will go away," he said. "We need to work together."

'This didn't have to happen'

Chief Slett said that Heiltsuk Nation is in no way opposed to commercial fishing, but that it can't support a fishery that isn't viable.

"We're not trying to stop people from making a living," she said. "But we need to manage things in a way so we'll have a resource that will sustain everyone into the future."

Heiltsuk Nation invited the Herring Industry Advisory Board to a meeting on 25 March but no one from industry showed, said Slett. “There really hasn’t been enough dialogue.”

Since the reopening was announced in December, Slett has sent seven letters to Minister Shea, urging her to revoke her decision. Shea responded once, repeating that her decision was based on sound science.

Meanwhile, the Heiltsuk are ready to take their protest out on the water. "There are strong-willed people in the community that will do everything within their power to protect the herring stocks," Slett said.

"This didn't have to happen -- this is Minister Shea's responsibility," she said. "Everything that happens now is because of her."

 

[Whole in the Water]

Not only do herring provide feed for many types of marine species as adult fish, but their spawning adds billions of bits of biomass that are vital sources of food for all sorts of marine life, including wild salmon smolts. Nature has timed the spawning and smolt emergence to coincede. The over fishing of herring has led to a lot of the decline in # of wild salmon in a growing number of peoples minds as the survival rates of smolts heading out into salt water seems to be poor as there are much less herring spawns these days. I have talked to stream keepers in the CR area who are very frustrated at this trend.

So for the sake of more salmon IMO I think we need to reduce the amount of herring fishing on a permanent basis. In the meantime we need to collect more up to date data on how much herring is out there and the role is plays in maintaining a healthy marine environment.

 

[Sangstercraft]

Give Gail Shea some feedback on her public Facebook page (it's not personal - it's meant for feedback and dialogue with the public):

https://www.facebook.com/gailshea

Tell that PEI potato-head how you feel about her managing our fisheries!

 

[bigbruce]

"There's a significant opportunity for commercial fisheries here," he said, questioning why the Heiltsuk oppose commercial fishery activity while they plan to proceed with their own fisheries."

Excellent question.

 

[Whole in the Water]

Still too much herring fishing going on regardless of what group does it. There isn't enough accurate and up to date data to justify the harvesting levels. It seems that as soon as it looks like there is more than basic #'s to keep population from being wiped out govt. caves to the pressure to harvest them. Herring need to exist in large numbers for the health of the marine environment - they are a key prey species in the food web of the ocean. We can't just manage their numbers for the sole purposes of people making money from them - not if we want a healthy and productive marine environment for all that live in and around the coast.