Natives get bigger portion of salmon catch

Ottawa's move angers non-Native commercial fishermen

Ottawa is allocating a larger catch of fish to West Coast Natives this year.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans announced July 9 it will allocate additional amounts of the coveted sockeye salmon catch to Native groups under its Aboriginal Fishing Strategy.

Under Ottawa's pilot sales program, bands of the Lower Fraser Fishing Authority between Tsawwassen and Sawmill Creek were awarded a license to catch 430,000 sockeye salmon.

The authority also got permission to harvest an additional 190,000 fish through the transfer of some 75 retired fishing licenses.

The two First Nations of the Nuu-Chah-Nulth Tribal Council on the Somass River were also authorized to take bigger catches: 5,000 additional fish will be added to the bands' 55,000 limit.

The Native harvest on the Skeena River has been set at 215,000 fish for food, social and ceremonial purposes. That amount does not, however, include any amount for sale.

The Department of Fisheries authorized the three one-year pilot programs on the Lower Fraser, the Skeena and the Somass Rivers in expectation of strong returns of sockeye and pink salmon to the Skeena and Fraser Rivers.

A near-record of more than 40 million salmon are expected this year. The agreement with Native bands, combined with the U.S. Pacific Salmon Treaty should help stabilize salmon stocks this year, the department reported.

Ottawa's move to increase Native bands' catches this year has, however, outraged non-Native fishing groups.

The Fisheries Survival Coalition, which opposes the reallocation of any fishing rights to Natives, said the fisheries department is deliberately creating tension in the West Coast industry by fostering two separate fisheries.

"We find it very offensive that there are two commercial fisheries in the province," said coalition spokesman Phil Eidsvik.

"There should only be one fishery for everyone on an equal basis."

Establishing a separate fishery for Aboriginals is unwarranted as thirty per cent of all fishermen in the so-called non-Native commercial industry are Native, Eidsvik said.

"We have a problem with a government that is trying to separate people who've been getting along for years because of race."

The coalition is promising to take "any action it can," although it will not officially take part in any protests of blockades that might occur this summer, Eidsvik said.

United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union spokesman Dennis Brown said fostering the separate Native fishery may force the union to take the government to court, especially in light of last month's B.C. Court of Appeals ruling that Natives have no inherent fishing rights.

Lower Fraser Fishing Authorities' head Ernie Crey said the 3-2 decision ruled out the inherent right to catch fish but does not prohibit their sale under the federal strategy.

The sockeye salmon fishing season has already gotten off to a troubled start this month. The season opened for only 24 hours July 10 to 11 and only to Native fishermen.

The small size of the run limited the number of fishermen on the water, said fisheries' Regional Director Pat Chamut.

Native fishermen were allowed to harvest because the fisheries department's commitment to the Aboriginal fishery exceeds that of the commercial fishery.

Non-Native fishermen remained either docked or were forced to go to other openings.