Dry rack fishery on the Fraser River shut down earlier than expected.

http://www.theprogress.com/news/215600991.html

I came across this article in the Chilliwack news this morning. Several Sto:lo First Nations dry rack fishers took part in an ancient tradition last week. Sockeye salmon are caught either in set nets or dip nets, for food, social, and ceremonial purposes.Unfortunately, the fishery was finished early because the sockeye run size was downgraded by the Fraser River Panel on July 12. Ernie Victor speaks about the best time to perform dry rack fishing and that tends to be earlier on in the run when the first fish tend to be smaller and thinner and there is less of a threat from the bees (still hibernating). Here are some highlights from the article:

“From an indigenous person’s standpoint, when you have something that’s so sacred, like traditional dry rack fishing, you think it just shouldn’t be so hard.” The process is “way more bureaucratic” than it needs to be, with scientific testing and modelling dictating the fishery openings that are allowed. “Of course if you have a million dollar venture like the commercial fleet when they get an opening, it all runs smoothly. It’s green light, go.” Even as some Sto:lo fishers were preparing their fish camps early last week, some said they spotted undercover DFO enforcement officers with binoculars watching their movements, as well as some posing as fisher buyers, presumably in an effort to get the fishers to sell them sockeye, which is illegal.“We’re talking about a group of families trying to keep their culture alive. They don’t need any additional barriers or obstacles.”

This newspaper article not only shows the difficulties that Indigenous peoples face while trying to maintain their traditional ecological values among the dominant culture. Victor asserts that First Nations peoples are not against conservation in any way, but they are frustrated that they cannot listen to Mother Nature [without having the dominant culture intervene]. As I read more and more about conservation practices and First Nations traditions, it saddens me that the dominant culture tries to step in and make the “big” decisions as well as secretly pose as fish buyers to try to break the Indigenous practices. I often hear about the debates and problems with First Nations and the dominant culture around fisheries and this is an issue I will continue to investigate more.

Alicia