{"id":753,"date":"2025-02-13T09:03:44","date_gmt":"2025-02-13T09:03:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/savetheherring.org\/?p=753"},"modified":"2025-02-18T00:10:52","modified_gmt":"2025-02-18T00:10:52","slug":"w%cc%b1sanec-hereditary-chiefs-deeply-frustrated-as-feds-boost-commercial-herring-catch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/savetheherring.org\/?p=753","title":{"rendered":"W\u0331S\u00c1NE\u0106 Hereditary Chiefs \u2018deeply frustrated\u2019 as feds boost commercial herring catch"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Copied and pasted below is an article published in The Narwhal, written by Steph Kwet\u00e1sel\u2019wet Wood<\/strong><\/a>. It can be found at this link: https:\/\/thenarwhal.ca\/wsanec-chiefs-dfo-herring-harvest\/<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The chiefs have called for a moratorium to protect B.C.’s last strong herring stock. Instead, Fisheries and Oceans upped the allowable catch<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

W\u0331S\u00c1NE\u0106 Hereditary Chiefs are \u201cdeeply frustrated\u201d with Fisheries and Oceans Canada\u2019s decision to increase this year\u2019s herring harvests in B.C.\u2019s Salish Sea despite their call for a moratorium<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are concerned the department, commonly known as DFO, is putting industry before the well-being of herring, which are a food source for salmon and whales and a cultural food staple for First Nations. Stocks collapsed in the 1960s due to overfishing, leading to a years-long closure of commercial fisheries. Since the late 1970s, herring fisheries have been closed intermittently \u2014 an action that W\u0331S\u00c1NE\u0106 chiefs say is needed now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, Fisheries and Oceans Canada increased the allowable harvest, from 10 per cent of the estimated total biomass in 2024 to 14 per cent this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In November, W\u0331S\u00c1NE\u0106 hereditary chiefs signed a declaration calling for a moratorium on the commercial harvest of Pacific herring in the Strait of Georgia, saying the fish \u201cplay a critical role in the health of our people and our relatives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow can DFO justify increasing herring harvests while stocks are in steep decline in our territories?\u201d Tsawout Hereditary Chief Eric Pelkey, or W\u0331I\u0106KINEM, said in a statement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/thenarwhal.ca\/wsanec-hereditary-chiefs-georgia-strait-herring-fishery\/embed\/#?secret=QyLLWR2HiW#?secret=e3Ym5mDLO5\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The chiefs argue keeping the commercial fishery open violates their W\u0331S\u00c1NE\u0106 Douglas Treaty right to carry on fisheries \u201cas formerly\u201d before contact, which they said<\/a> will be \u201cimpossible should the fragile herring population collapse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Strait of Georgia is now the only one of the five major spawning areas along the B.C. coast still open to a herring fishery \u2014 four others were closed because the stocks collapsed. This decision further jeopardizes the health of our waters and our way of life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Chief
W\u0331I\u0106KINEM (Eric Pelkey), Hereditary Chief of the Tsawout First Nation, said in a statement, \u201cThis decision further jeopardizes the health of our waters and our way of life.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Feds maintains herring are \u2018highly productive\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At the centre of the tension is a disagreement about how well herring are doing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The chiefs emphasize herring stocks have plummeted across B.C. in recent years. In response the federal government closed commercial fisheries in late 2021 \u2014 except for those in the Georgia Strait. But the chiefs have witnessed less spawning in the strait, and say a more precautionary approach is needed to prevent similar declines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fisheries and Oceans maintains its approach is precautionary, and told The Narwhal in a statement herring in the strait have \u201cremained highly productive.\u201d The department argued data shows the spawning in the Georgia Strait is strong enough to allow a commercial harvest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In November, W\u0331S\u00c1NE\u0106 hereditary chiefs and community members gathered at Tulista Park in Sidney, B.C. for the signing of the moratorium declaration \u2014 a historic event unifying the First Nations leaders for the first time in decades to assert their inherent Title and Treaty Rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The department surveys the five major Pacific herring stock areas: Prince Rupert District, Haida Gwaii, Central Coast, Strait of Georgia and West Coast Vancouver Island. The department said it engages with First Nations on the annual pacific herring integrated fisheries management plan<\/a>, and concerns are \u201ccarefully considered along with the best available science, Indigenous Knowledge and understanding of fisheries practices.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It said its decisions are based on input gathered \u201cthrough our extensive consultation and engagement efforts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pelkey said they have not been able to set up a call or meeting with the department. \u201cWe have had no response at all to our inquiries,\u201d he said on Thursday. \u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scientists investigate how habitat loss impacts spawning <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Pacific Salmon Foundation is leading a project to investigate herring\u2019s role in the salmon food web, and also look at why herring are shifting where they spawn. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They confirmed herring used to spawn broadly in the Georgia Strait, but have moved in recent decades. Loss of habitat is part of the puzzle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHerring need vegetation to spawn on,\u201d Jake Dingwall, a research assistant who is leading the habitat assessment, said on the foundation\u2019s website<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s an easy equation: if the vegetation is unhealthy, or missing entirely, there won\u2019t be a successful spawn.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The research is funded by the federal and provincial governments as part of the British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund, but it\u2019s years away from reaching concrete conclusions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
A Fisheries and Oceans chart showing the five stock assessment regions (SAR) of herring. The first chart shows estimates of total spawning biomass. The second is commercial catch. The ministry argues herring in the Straight of Georgia are stable enough for commercial catch, while the others have been paused. Chart: Supplied by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Rob Morley, chair of the Herring Industry Advisory Board, agreed water temperature, food sources and habitat changes in the Salish Sea have led to herring spawning elsewhere. But he argued herring haven\u2019t decreased, they\u2019ve just moved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey don\u2019t spend as much time [in the strait] as they used to, because the food sources aren\u2019t there. They\u2019re moving to respond to the environment,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The key dispute is whether this move is a worrying signal of decline or not. The chiefs point to data showing declines in the commercial catch, but DFO said that doesn\u2019t reflect the total population. While Morley said herring don\u2019t return to one spot, another biologist, Doug Swanston, told CBC some evidence suggests they may have a homing instinct similar to salmon<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
The Salish Sea has changed with development, leading to reduced habitat for herring. Herring are part of the food web, providing sustenance to salmon and whales.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The WS\u00c1NE\u0106 Hereditary Chiefs are hosting a forum called HELIT T\u0166E S\u023dO\u1e48,ET (Let the Herring Live) on Feb. 13 in Tsawout territory, also known Saanichton, to bring together community leaders, politicians and scientists to discuss the plight of herring. They\u2019re worried for the future of all the living creatures in the Strait of Georgia if herring leave those waters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWithout the herring there can be no salmon, no seals, no killer whales as a result of no salmon,\u201d W\u0331I\u0106KINEM told The Narwhal when the chiefs first called for a moratorium. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll these things all depend on herring to thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Copied and pasted below is an article published in The Narwhal, written by Steph Kwet\u00e1sel\u2019wet Wood. It can be found at this link: https:\/\/thenarwhal.ca\/wsanec-chiefs-dfo-herring-harvest\/ The chiefs have called for a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":768,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-753","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/savetheherring.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/753"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/savetheherring.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/savetheherring.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/savetheherring.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/savetheherring.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=753"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/savetheherring.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/753\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":755,"href":"https:\/\/savetheherring.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/753\/revisions\/755"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/savetheherring.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/768"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/savetheherring.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=753"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/savetheherring.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=753"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/savetheherring.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=753"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}