Nuu-chah-nulth First Nation outlines ongoing concerns related to coastal herring fishery

Open letter to Commercial Fishermen

An open letter from January 5th from Vancouver Island First Nations, is once again highlighting their concerns regarding DFO plans for a commercial roe and spawn-on-kelp herring fishery for 2015.

The letter, which is addressed to all B. C. Commercial Herring Fishermen finds the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations reviewing their past actions to protect the resource, as well as outlining their intentions to once again seek a court injunction to stop any herring related fishing on the West Coast of Vancouver Island.

In their correspondence, the Vancouver Island First Nation takes issue with a mid-December decision from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to open that area of coastal waters to the herring fishery this year.  Going on to explain that with that decision now announced, they will be returning to the courts, advising their legal counsel to prepare their application for Federal Court.

DFO Map of Vancouver Island sectors

They further outline how all four of the Nuu-chah-nulth commercial spawn on kelp licences will not be operating  in 2015 due to their concerns regarding the level of fish stocks, as well, they detail their request that B. C. commercial seine and gillnet herring fishermen choose instead to fish the areas of the Strait of Georgia or Prince Rupert for the season ahead.

You can review the contents of their letter here.

A reply and recommendation of support from UFAWU-Unifor regarding those concerns and the issue of the herring fishery was sent to Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council on January 7th.

Later posted to the the Tribal Council's Fishery website, you can examine that comprehensive response here.

For more items related to development sin the Fishery sector see our archive page here.