Abalone Coast Watch Forum
Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre
February 27 to March 1, 2007

Participant Introductions

Main Page | Opening Night | Participants Intoductions
Interview Excercise | Forum Outcomes | Forum Evaluations

The second morning started with participants introducing themselves and their interest in Abalone Coast Watch. Participants were contacted in order to make any changes or edits before posting the following write-ups. If you did not reply we have posted the original information we gathered from our introduction session, please let us know if any changes need to be made.

Robert Davies, Council of Haida Nations

• Present to gather information about Abalone Coast Watch coast-wide (There is an active Abalone Coast Watch program in Haida Gwaii)
• Interest in the technical side of things
• Works with youth and kids, outreach program 10-18 age
• Collects shells as he always has (second nature)
• Interested in passing knowledge to people in his own community about Abalone Coast Watch
• Bring back to community the importance of species
• Will use this posting as a way to report back to the community
  

Robert Nelson, Metlakatla, T’simsian Nation

Robert Nelson represents the Metlakatla First Nation, and is an active participant in Metlakatla's Abalone Coast Watch program. He has participated in community workshops and dedicated abalone patrols being carried out by the Metlakatla Fisheries Program in Metlakatla traditional marine territory. Robert has been the field coordinator for the Metlakatla pilot shellfish aquaculture project for 5 years, and is interested in culturing abalone for restoration and juvenile out-planting projects on the north coast. Decades ago, Metlakatla community members used to harvest their winter's supply, while watching commercial fisherman taking way too much with no regulations. Robert's suggestions for improving Coast Watch are to increase monitoring and enforcement of the vast area of the north coast, by both DFO and First Nations staff; addressing the existing barriers to abalone aquaculture and out-planting/surveying projects, and initiating a 5-year plan for funding and improving Coast Watch programs.

Marty Weinstein, Namgis First Nation Aquatic Resources Coordinator

With regard to abalone rehabilitation, the real interest for the Namgis First Nation, and probably for other coastal aboriginal communities, is being able to eat abalone again. Abalone was a significant part of traditional food for many coastal ommunities. Abalone was a highly regarded food and ceremonial staple and, at times, it was also harvested for sales purposes. Small-scale sales of fisheries resources like abalone was a source of the cash needed to keep community fishing boats on the water.

Abalone harvesting was also part of the traditional resource and environmental monitoring system used by coastal First Nations. While fishermen were collecting abalone, they would also be watching what is going on around them, in the shallow benthic and lower inter-tidal environments. Harvesting activities for all varieties of marine resources played this kind of monitoring role. As harvesters engaged with marine resources they would keep an eye on the environment and also on other harvesters. And they would communicate any concerns within the community, and sometimes to people from other places. This is the foundation for traditional Community-based Management (CBM), the original Observe, Record, and Report (ORR) system through which enforcement and compliance operated on the British Columbia coast for thousands of years.

Doug Aberley, N’amg’is Nation

• People are tired of management processes that DFO has put on the coast, which has been bad for coastal communities. Communities are tired of asking DFO for change, and now communities are acting independently from DFO, with respect.
• Community wants an abundance of healthy food in healthy ecosystems = community based ecosystem management and stewardship = adapted management
• Would like to integrate abalone watch and other programs into holistic program into marine stewardship
• Program to identify spatial units, research in specific method, focused research, economic development
• Time of complaining for big system to change is over, and now a is period of exciting change

Arthur Dick, N’amg’is Nation

• Interested in how to help with abalone recovery
• If Coast Watch program is going to take off, it cannot depend solely on volunteers
• Science to laymen terms sometimes a problem, lost in translation

Bridget Ennevor, DFO
- From Greater Vancouver

• Interested in learning more about the Abalone Coast Watch program in order to find better tools for the crab watch program in the lower mainland.

Shelley McDonald, Canadian Fishing Company LTD.

• Industry- Canadian fishing company
• Interest in abalone project, owns trout and sockeye farm

Linda Myres, Bamfield Huu-ay-aht Community Abalone Project

Bamfield Huu-ay-aht Community Abalone Project, Secretary representing Bamfield Community School Association. The BHCAP is a locally developed community economic development initiative founded by 3 local organizations. BHCAP provides jobs, training and career development for residents. Research, education, enhancement of wild abalone stocks, and a commercial venture support the long-term goals of BHCAP.

Dawn Renfrew, Bamfield Resident

• Interested in keeping in touch with Abalone Coast Watch in BC

Sylvia Humble, Fisheries Biologist, LGL Limited

Sylvia is a technical advisor to the Metlakatla Fisheries Program, and helps coordinate their Abalone Coast Watch program. Community workshops were held in Metlakatla, Kitsumkalum, Hartley Bay, and Prince Rupert (in collaboration with the Nisga'a Fisheries Program). Workshops included information on abalone biology, conservation and protection, abalone Coast Watch initiatives, and community discussion of poaching and ideas for abalone protection and restoration. Participants are interested in increased public education, monitoring by First Nations, and initiating survey and restoration work in the Prince Rupert area. The Nisga'a Abalone Coast Watch program is also in the process of holding community workshops. Both Metlakatla and Nisga'a Coast Watch Programs are conducting abalone patrols to monitor for poaching, and strive to strengthen community capacity for abalone Coast Watch in future years.

Lisa Wilson, Fisheries and Oceans HSP/SARA

Here to listen and hear what the groups are doing, SARA is with treasury board to renew funding, opportunity to see how we could run that program differently

Louvi Nurse, Fisheries and Oceans, First Nations SARA coordinator

• Coordinate SARA funding for first nations
• See what interests are, what people are doing
  Mike Legg, Malaspina Student
• here to get a feel for community-based projects

Wendy Szaniszlo, Species at Risk Communications and Consultation Officer, Pacific Rim National Park Reserve

• SARA communications and consultation – Pacific Rim
• Too bad no warden for enforcement aspect
• Interested in learning and seeing what other people are doing with communication and outreach to see if Pacific Rim can incorporate some of the initiatives

Jennifer Yakimishyn, Marine Researcher, Pacific Rim National Park Reserve

• Marine researcher, involved in research projects in Pacific Rim Park
• Making the connection, help facilitate between the park and BMSC

Katie Beach, Uu-a-thluk (Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council Fisheries)

• Finding out about different projects in Nuu-chah-nulth territory
• Awareness and coordination with other area biologists working on aquatic issues.
• Greater awareness of coastal issues

Julie Carpenter, Heilstuk Sea Otter and Abalone Project

• Coordinator, doing surveys on abalone since 2001, community workshops and newsletters, Coast Watch patrols
• Here to get ideas as to how to improve Coast Watch program in community, and create more optimism in Bella Bella, would really like to harvest abalone again, not very much optimism
• See otter stewardship program started as well

Theresa Douthwright, Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre

• Involved in the Coast Watch start-up process in West Coast communities and in abalone related education and outreach.
• Working on evaluating the Abalone Coast Watch Program through BMSC.
• Working on strengthening commitment in existing Coast Watch groups.

Laurie Convey – Fisheries and Oceans Canada

• We have made progress with abalone recovery efforts, this is the good news story. The bad news is that abalone are still declining.
• Interested in evaluating the Coast Watch program - what kinds of improvements can be made, how to carry on enthusiasm in the long term
• Need to be creative and think about motivation
• Community interest in future harvesting appears to be the strongest incentive
• Good strong protection program
• Abalone Coast Watch is VERY important - a report to 1-800-Observe-Record-Report helped fishery officers to make the biggest bust of illegally harvested abalone in February 2006

Anne Stewart, Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre

Coordinator of Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre’s Public Education Program. Has been involved in Abalone Coast Watch since its inception. Very engaged in education and out-reach about abalone and other marine species at risk on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Co-ordinating Habitat Stewardship Project in 2006/2007 on the evaluation of Abalone Coast Watch. Organized this Forum to strengthen the network of communities involved, increase communication and collaboration between First Nations, communities, Lead agencies and others interested in the recovery of abalone and the furthering of Abalone Coast Watch. Hopeful that this will strengthen the front against abalone poaching and will result in recommendations for a way forward.

Discussion:

• Stewardship is very important = education.
• It is dangerous to approach poachers; good to be aware of this, as they are usually part of organized crime.
• Before and after abalone survey.
• Stash? Are abalone being stashed in diving areas? Monitor this?
• When other monitoring is going on, we should monitor abalone.
• Very difficult to find stashes.
• Pretty sophisticated poachers.
• First Nations – it is very important to have community members to come in and educate rather than outsiders. This is important because the First Nations communities do not have much respect for people coming in from the outside, which don’t have an understanding of their communities.
• Targeting your audience and being aware of barriers is very important.
• Empowering communities is very important.
• There are BIG trust issues, especially with the elders in the communities.
• Trust needs to be established again, because of historical events.

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