DFO hands over Exclusive crab fishing areas to First Nations for FSC

[wildmanyeah]

Good Afternoon,

In 2017, the Central Coast Nations (the Kitasoo/Xai’xais, Heiltsuk, Nuxalk, and Wuikinuxv) partnered with DFO to collaboratively manage Dungeness crab (hereafter referred to as “crab”) on the Central Coast. This Government-to-government approach was driven by the need, as identified by the Nations, to restore or preserve sufficient Food, Social, and Ceremonial (FSC) access to crab and ensure the sustainability of crab populations on the Central Coast.

After two years of investigating these concerns, the governance partners have concluded that there is a need to maintain or restore FSC access to crab, particularly in key areas that represent important current or historical crab fishing areas for the Central Coast First Nations, and/or areas of high cultural significance. Conversations culminated in a proposed suite of crab fishing closures intended to meet these goals.

DFO and the Central Coast Nations are committed to engaging stakeholders on proposed changes to crab management. To that end, on November 28, an email was circulated introducing a plan to solicit general and site-specific feedback on the proposed management changes. Today, we are sharing a document describing the context and rationale for the proposed management changes. This document should provide you with information required to help you formulate your feedback. Additionally, we will be reviewing the information contained in this document via two webinars: one on Monday, December 9th and one on Friday, December 13th from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

We will be circulating a form to allow you to provide feedback by email. We are particularly interested in hearing about the socioeconomic impacts of the proposed changes on your fishery and we are open to alternative management suggestions that can rapidly and effectively address FSC access concerns in these locations.

The first round of feedback will be collected until January 13th. On January 21st and 22nd, the governance partners will host a workshop in Vancouver to review all collected feedback from the first round. The workshop will be an opportunity for you to meet face to face with the steering committee – DFO and First Nation leadership – to discuss the proposed management measures and provide additional advice. Workshop details will be provided before the holidays. A second round of feedback will be collected the week after the workshop. The final deadline for feedback to be incorporated into the 2020 crab IFMP will be Friday, January 31st.

The members of the steering committee have committed to rigorous, meaningful and consistent engagement of communities and stakeholders and have identified that this is necessary to achieve the objectives of the collaborative crab process. We look forward to sharing this work with you and hearing your perspectives on how we achieve our shared goal of healthy and sustainable crab populations on the Central Coast.


Sincerely,


Sandra Davies

A/Area Director-North Coast Area

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

417-2nd Avenue West

Prince Rupert, BC V8J 1G8

T: (250) 627-3416**NEW**

E: Sandra.Davies@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

 

[wildmanyeah]

Based on this information, the governance partners are proposing a suite of recreational and commercial year-round crab fishing closures in areas of importance to the First Nations for FSC crab access (Figure 1). The suite of areas important for FSC crab access was compiled through discussions with First Nations’ leadership. It includes areas that currently offer sufficient FSC access as well as areas where sufficient FSC access needs to be restored. Because the effectiveness of fishing closures has been tested scientifically and was shown to produce positive results, closures are currently the preferred management option for these areas; however, the governance partners will consider alternative or additional management options put forward by the recreational and commercial crab fishers that can effectively and rapidly improve FSC access to crab in these important locations.

 

[Cuba Libre]

And it will move south.....

 

[fish4all]

Area A just had one of if not the biggest crab seasons in history. This has nothing to do with protecting anything other than closing areas to Non-fn. disgraceful.

 

[SpringVelocity]

Yikes.

 

[littlechucky]

Man....I love crab cakes but no way I could eat them 17 times a week.

 

[searun]

This is a situation where the governance partners appear to be using Traditional Knowledge (TK) in place of taking the time to conduct a science based analysis to determine the actual cause of the apparent decline in FSC success. This is based on a "feeling" that rec fishing is the cause of not meeting targets set not by science but by asking FN's what level of catch would meet FSC needs - that is by their definition 7.5 legal male crabs per pot. Only 2 of the proposed 15 or so sites actually met the target. BTW, this isn't about actual crab abundance either.

The spatial areas set to be removed from Rec access represent a significant proportion of the available crab habitat in protected waters. Remember that much of the Central Coast area is deep inlet waters not suitable for crab, and the actual crab habitat in shallow waters where rec fishers can access them is fairly limited - especially if you consider much of the shallow water sites are open ocean dangerous locations. What is left for non-indigenous fishers who also rely on crab for their food and sustenance needs? It seems to me that DFO is not adequately considering the downstream impacts this will have upon non-indigenous people whom have a reasonable expectation under the Constitution that their interests will be considered and fairly protected. Would this pass a legal challenge when TK was essentially the sole scientific analysis conducted and the decision was based on what amounts to a feeling? Lots of questions and concern this represents a mammoth shift away from science towards using Traditional Knowledge, when TK should inform or give rise to the basis for scientific investigation not actually driving the decisions.

What happens when this approach and methodology is then applied all along the coast when FN communities express a desire for exclusive access as opposed to priority access??? That is a huge shift, and we are about to launch into very risky uncharted waters here as crab will not be the only species that attracts applying TK as a significant management decision making criteria.

 

[wildmanyeah]

What happens when this approach and methodology is then applied all along the coast when FN communities express a desire for exclusive access as opposed to priority access??? That is a huge shift, and we are about to launch into very risky uncharted waters here as crab will not be the only species that attracts applying TK as a significant management decision making criteria.

We already know crab is not the only push. We know prawns is another one. Will see what happens when this moves south.

 

[searun]

Yes, you can expect that. Expect the draft prawn IFMP to spell out by just how much you will be re-allocated.

 

[trophywife]

this government does nothing but create race tension.
we are all Canadians,
share the harvest.

 

[agentaqua]

Area A just had one of if not the biggest crab seasons in history. This has nothing to do with protecting anything other than closing areas to Non-fn. disgraceful.

That's Area B F4A

 

[SerengetiGuide]

Eventually we have to sue as well or else we just get pushed around.

 

[halimark]

Time is now, when done to try and reverse anything Trudeau does will be moot. Every time one user gets sole rights there should be a legal court challenge initiated. I foresee extinction in Canada of what I enjoy in life. Ask any long time resident of Williams Lake how they feel? I have friends who sold in Vic to retire there, so fast their fun areas are now closed to all but 1 race. Even small things, like Mr Horgan giving many rec campsites to FN for management and fee/profit recovery all for reconciliation? Remember most of coast and lower mainland voted for NDP, same as Trudeau. Who to blame??? I am no legalese or lawyer, but rec sector needs a few ASAP.

HM