Council of Haida Nation takes Federal Government to court over Herring Issues

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The Council of Haida Nation is moving forward with its plan to ensure a closure of the Herring Fishery off Haida Gwaii this spring, revealing that they have filed a notice of application with Federal Court.

The CHN posted their application to the Court to their twitter feed and website today.

It's the latest step in their ongoing efforts in response to recent moves by the Ministry of Fisheries, which was planning to open a herring fishery off of Haida Gwaii.

Last Friday, we outlined on the blog how the Council of the Haida Nation had declared closed the assessment area of Haida Gwaii, joining First Nations on Western Vancouver Island in expressing their disappointment at the DFO plans

We reviewed those Vancouver Island concerns over the DFO decision with this item from January 13.

On Tuesday, UFAWU/Unifor the largest union in the British Columbia fishery offered its support to a bid from the Haida Nation to shut down the herring fishery this spring, outlining their shared concerns in a letter to the Council of Haida Nations.

The correspondence with the CHN called on the need for DFO to be held accountable on what UFAWU called mismanagement of fisheries issues.

The DFO-Pacific needs to be held to account on this mismanagement. Over the last four decades access to fish and fisheries has become separated from fishermen and adjacent coastal communities. Continued dis-integrated management on our coast is simply unacceptable. -- A passage from a letter of support to the Council of Haida Nations from UFAWU/Unifor


As the Council of the Haida Nation moves forward with its court action, the process now shifts to the Federal Government which has ten days from the date of filing to respond to the Court.

You can find more background on fishery issues on the North Coast and Haida Gwaii from our archive page here.

Council of Haida Nation seeks stop to herring fishery off Haida Gwaii

Citing ongoing concern over the level of stocks of herring in the waters of Haida Gwaii, the Council of Haida Nations has delivered a letter to the Herring Industry Advisory Board advising by public notice that the Haida Nation has declared closed the assessment area of Haida Gwaii.

The CHN letter, dated January 13th, outlines the background of a proposed DFO opening for a commercial spawn on kelp and roe herring fishery, a plan delivered in a Draft management plan of January 2nd.

Explaining that they don't believe that the herring stocks on Haida Gwaii have been rebuilt enough to support a fishery at this time, the Council of Haida Nations states its intention to resort to litigation to protect the herring, should any fishery move forward in 2015.

The key paragraph for commercial fishermen on the North Coast comes towards the end of the letter, as the Council steers the commercial fleet away from the waters of Haida Gwaii.

"We do not wish to cause undue hardship and expense to commercial fisherman, however the well-being of the herring is in all of our interests, and in the interests of future generations of fishers. For these reasons, and the fact that the Haida Nation has closed this area, fishermen should not select the Haida Gwaii major stock assessment." -- Portion of a Public Notice on the herring fishery of Haida Gwaii

The full correspondence from the Council of Haida Nations can be found here.

Background on DFO sturdy information on herring can be found here.

The moves from Haida Gwaii mark the second time this week that word of differences of opinion with DFO have been outlined.

As we reviewed on the blog on Tuesday, a Vancouver Island First Nation issued a similar closure, for similar reasons last week.

CBC Daybreak North had some more background on the Haida Gwaii situation yesterday, providing a short clip of an interview with Kim Olsen of UFAWU.

More items of interest on the issue can be found below:

News 1130-- First Nation in Haida Gwaii threatens legal action over herring roe fishery
Vancouver Province-- Haida Nation plans legal challenge if federal authorities open herring roe fishery


More on the Fishery on the North Coast and Haida Gwaii can be found on our archive page.