First Nation vows to stop herring roe fishery
Tla’amin band says commercial fishing would cause ‘irreversible damage’
The Tla’amin First Nation has served notice that it will act to halt any commercial herring roe fishery in its traditional territory.
A band council resolution sent to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans says a commercial fishery would cause “irreversible damage” to a herring stock that is just showing signs of recovery after a catastrophic collapse in the 1980s.
“If the decision of Fisheries and Oceans Canada is to proceed with the commercial herring fishery, Tla’amin Nation will take steps to restrain the mismanagement of the fishery,” the resolution reads.
A DFO manager alerted the band’s fisheries manager Kevin Timothy to the possibility of a commercial opening in waters near Powell River.
“That set some alarm bells ringing for us,” Chief Coun. Clint Williams said. “It’s been 30 years and we are only now starting to see some patchy spawn here, but nothing like it was traditionally. We are going to do whatever we can to stop this and allow the healing that needs to take place.”
The DFO supports a commercial harvest in the Strait of Georgia, based on scientific advice and consultation with First Nations and commercial harvesters. When openings take place depends on inseason assessments of herring stocks and spawn, along with communication with the industry and First Nations, according to a DFO spokesperson.
The DFO says it has received the Tla’amin resolution and is in the process of scheduling a meeting with the band.
Several other First Nations have succeeded in halting commercial openings, but not without concerted action.
Last year, the Haida First Nation won an injunction in Federal Court to stop a planned herring roe fishery in its territory. And the Heiltsuk First Nation occupied a DFO regional office for three days last March and threatened to escalate the conflict on the water with commercial fishermen before the fishery in their territory was cancelled.