Selective Fish Harvesting
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Native Traditional Fisheries The major tidal water section 35.1 fishery in the north coast area is the gillnet fishery in fisheries statistical area 4 at the mouth of the Skeena River. This food fishery managed by DFO and the Tsimshian Tribal Council is open to all First Nation members under a licensing system. This special fishery targets mainly Sockeye and Chinook salmon migrating to the Skeena River system. Major freshwater native fisheries occur throughout the Skeena River watershed. The main method of harvest by First Nations is by salmon gillnet and salmon setnet.
The Kitselas First Nation took further steps to conserve the dwindling coho stocks despite approval from DFO to fish with nets above the Skeena River Bridge at Terrace, BC. (the waters of the Skeena River below the Skeena River Bridge was closed by DFO to retention of Coho salmon by all fishers). The Kitselas Fisheries operations restricted their FSC fishing to two days per week from the 24th of August 1999 to the 10th of September 1999. FSC by Kitselas Band members fishing reopened to seven days per week on September the 11th, the same day DFO allowed a catch and retention fishery on Coho Salmon in the lower Skeena Watershed. The fishers of the Kitselas Band are to be commended for their voluntary compliance of the restrictions imposed upon them by the bands fisheries operations during the peak coho migration period. The fishers must also be commended for their part in not practicing their aboriginal right to fish when stocks require protection i.e. maximum of twelve nets in the river at any given time, especially during the peak Coho migration through the Kitselas territories. The band fisheries personnel report no violations were observed during this season FSC fishery, especially the voluntary compliance closure. The low sockeye returns to the Skeena river in the past two years (1998 & 1999) has caused below average FSC catches for the Kitselas First Nation. The Kitselas fisheries program has offset the low sockeye catches in the past two years by using selective fishing methods, i.e. fishwheels to harvest food, social and ceremonial (FSC) fish and distribute the fish to band members. The fish were mainly distributed to the elderly and to members who did not have access to fishing nets or transportation to the fishing sites. FSC fishing by Kitselas members is permitted in all traditional fishing areas within the Skeena Watershed. The traditional fish harvest areas of the Kitselas First Nation includes the Skeena Watershed downstream of Lorne Creek to the mouth of the Skeena River. Daily records of Section 35.1 fish (food, social and ceremonial) were maintained by Kitselas fisheries personnel. The catch data was obtained by conversing with fishers on a daily basis by conducting patrols by foot, vehicle and riverboat - monitoring various fishing stations within the traditional territories of the Kitselas First Nation. The following is a breakdown of the annual harvest of fish by the Kitselas membership under authority of a communal licence issued by DFO. As mentioned previously, the monitors collected the catch information from the fishers on a daily basis throughout the course of the FSC fishery - commencing in early June to the middle of October. High water and a rainy season hampered the fishery somewhat during the later part of June and during parts of the summer months. Very little effort was recorded in the FSC fishery past mid September Catch figures for the Kitselas First Nations 1999 Food, social and Ceremonial (sec 35.1) net fishery is as follows:
Fishwheel/Fishtrap (Selective) Harvest A record of all fish captured by the Kitselas fishwheel and fishtrap by species, and subsequent harvest or release, was maintained throughout the duration of this special project by monitors (Fred McKenzie & Chad Gerow). DFO from Prince Rupert designed and supplied the waterproof daily catch report forms for use on the project. The forms were completed on a daily basis as the technicians removed the fish from the live holding tanks - usually in the early morning hours and then later in the afternoon. Adult Sockeye and a small number of Jack Sockeye harvested by the fishwheel or fishtrap were removed by the technicians using dipnets constructed of knotless webbing and stored in insulated fish totes for distribution to members of the Kitselas communities. Sockeye salmon that were injured in some way, and/or showed wounds presumably from seals or nets were live released by the technicians. The fisheries technicians live released all other species of fish that included the depressed Upper Skeena Coho salmon along with Chinook salmon, Chum Salmon, Steelhead, Dolly Varden and incidental species i.e. lamprey eels, cutthroat trout, etc. A small amount of Chum Salmon and Steelhead were also harvested and distributed to members of the Kitselas band - mostly for elders who made special requests for the fish. All fish used for section 35.1 (FSC) and fish live released, along with dead and damaged fish were recorded on the daily catch record forms supplied by DFO. DFO required, as a condition of this contribution agreement, that the fisheries technicians obtain DNA samples of Coho and Sockeye Salmon caught by the selective fishing devices (fishwheel and fishtrap). The DNA samples were collected and delivered to the DFO office at Prince Rupert, BC. The fisheries project was also required to conduct a survivability-testing program with various fish caught by the fishwheel and fishtrap. A live holding tank was constructed of aluminum tubing, Kee Klamps and knotless webbing. The live holding tank used for the survivability testing was attached to the front section of the fishtrap. Fish were removed live from the fishwheel/fishtrap and placed live into the holding tank for period up to twenty-four hours. This testing confirms our statements that fishwheels and fish traps are selective fishing devices that can harvest target species of salmon, in particular Sockeye Salmon, and live release depressed stocks i.e. Coho Salmon. |
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In
the lower Skeena, the Kitsumkalum and Kitselas First Nations usually target all
five species of salmon along with steelhead from May to the end of November in
any given year. This year (1999) DFO again imposed Coho salmon fishing restrictions
in the Skeena River by all fishers (native and sport) because of the disastrous
decline in the Coho population to the upper Skeena watershed. This is a repeat
of last years (1998) fishing restriction imposed by DFO for the conservation of
Coho salmon migrating to the upper Skeena River. 
The
Kitselas First Nation fishes with salmon nets for food, social and ceremonial
purposes under authority of a communal licence issued to the band by DFO. The
Kitselas fisheries personnel in turn issue designation cards that include a photograph
of the licenced fisher. The designation cards are valid for a period of five years
and must be carried by the fisher while engaged in fishing operations and produced
upon request of DFO personnel or band fisheries staff. A total of seventy-five
designation cards were issued to band members during the summer months. This means
that at any given time the fishery within the Kitselas traditional fishing territory
could number in excess of seventy nets. This could have noticeable affects on
salmon stock, especially the depressed upper Skeena coho. This was however, not
the case for the Kitselas FSC fishery - a maximum of twelve nets were counted
during the daily patrols of the FSC fishery this year.