JANUARY 28, 2025, WSÁNEĆ, BC — The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) has once again disregarded the traditional wisdom and inherent rights of First Nations. Despite a Declaration signed by six WSÁNEĆ Hereditary Chiefs in November 2024 demanding an immediate moratorium on the Pacific herring fishery, on January 17, the DFO approved an increase in the harvest rate from 10 per cent of the biomass last year to 14 per cent this year.

“We are deeply frustrated,” says Tsawout Hereditary Chief Eric Pelkey (WI̱ĆKINEM). “How can DFO justify increasing herring harvests while stocks are in steep decline in our territories?”

Herring are not just another fish—they are a keystone species vital to the health and well-being of WSÁNEĆ people, other First Nations on BC’s west coast, and the entire marine ecosystem. These small yet mighty fish are critical to the survival of chinook salmon, Southern Resident Orcas, seabirds, and countless other species that rely on them as a primary food source. The collapse of herring stocks has far-reaching consequences, threatening the biodiversity and resilience of coastal waters.

“The Strait of Georgia is now the only one of the five major spawning areas along the BC coast still open to a herring fishery—four others were closed because the stocks collapsed. This decision further jeopardizes the health of our waters and our way of life,” says Chief Pelkey.

The WSÁNEĆ Hereditary Chiefs are joined by First Nations, ecotourism operators, environmental organizations, and marine-dependent businesses in opposition to the DFO decision. For years, these groups have urged Federal Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier to put an end to unsustainable herring fisheries and implement measures to allow populations to recover.

“The Integrated Fisheries Management Plan claims to follow the Precautionary Principle and Risk Aversion. Yet those principles ring hollow when the DFO’s actions result in catastrophic herring stock declines across most of the BC coast,” says environmental advocate and author, Dr. Briony Penn. “It’s clear that the DFO needs a complete paradigm shift.”

Herring is essential to Indigenous cultures and rights and the broader health of BC’s marine environment. Without immediate action to curb overfishing and protect these vital fish, the cascading impacts on species already in decline could lead to ecological disaster.

Determined to protect their territorial waters and address the crisis, the WSÁNEĆ Nations will host the HELIT TŦE SȽOṈ,ET (Let the Herring Live) Forum on February 13, 2025 at the Tsawout First Nation. The forum aims to bring First Nations, fisheries scientists, environmental organizations, politicians, and marine tourism operators together to rebuild the herring population and work collectively to find ways to end the herring fishery before it’s too late.

“The health of herring stocks is not just a First Nations issue. They are the lifeblood of the marine ecosystem, and their survival benefits us all,” says Chief Pelkey. “Together, we can restore balance and protect this essential resource for future generations of humans and other species.”

Media Contacts:

1. Hereditary Chief Eric Pelkey (WI̱ĆKINEM), Tsawout Nation, 250-880-2457, eric.pelkey@wsanec.com

2. Valerie Elliott, Media Relations, 250-532-6267, elliott@iD2.ca