The Canadian Constitution gives First Nations people the right to fish for food and ceremonial purposes using modern and traditional methods; from seines and gillnets to spears, hooks, dipnets and weirs. Pilot agreements also allow them to sell their catch. Many First Nations people are also commercial fishermen: about one third of all salmon licence holders are First Nations and the fishing industry is the largest single source of jobs for BC’s First Nations people.

Huuayaht fishermen, Edward Nookemus and William Happynook with their catch in a cedar dougout canoe in Numukamis Bay. Circa 1940.

There was a time, not long ago, when the docks in Nuu-chah-nulth communities were lined with fishing boats owned and operated by Nuu-chah-nulth people. Fishing was an integral part of community economies. Whole families participated in the salmon and other fisheries, and fathers and mothers routinely taught sons and daughters how to make a living from the sea. Today, that rich heritage is dangerously close to gone. Robert Dennis, chief councillor of the Huu-ay-aht First Nations remembers when his people had 61 licenced fishing vessels. That was at a time when the total Huu-ay-aht population hovered at 300 people. “Now we have 14 licenced vessels and 500 people,” Dennis says. “The population has gone up, and the number of licenced boats has gone way down. To me, that says almost every father and son participated in the industry at one time. Now, there’s virtually nobody.” Dennis says it is clear that much must be done to restore fisheries in Huu-ay-aht territory. 

Logged over lands and slumping roads in proximity to fish-bearing rivers must be restored and fish stocks will have to be enhanced through hatcheries and other projects. But, says Dennis, “if we do the hatchery work, we definitely want a say in management.” In other words, Nuu-chah-nulth people want a say in how and by whom the fish are fished. Fisheries management at the local level for the benefit of local people makes sense, Dennis says.

Dave Preikshot, Fisheries Modeller

Ph.D. candidate, UBC Fisheries Centre

What do you do?

I use computer fisheries models to see how ecosystems and fish interact. I look at when and how fish populations have changed in the past and use these clues to try and predict the future. You could call it “back to the future.”

What is a fisheries model?

Fisheries models use math to describe the biology of fish. You could relate it to tracking your bank account with debits (mortality), credits (recruitment) and interest (growth) but of course life is much more complex and chaotic than a bank account.

Are there different kinds of models?

Single species models and ecosystem models are both used. Some single species models can be run on a simple spreadsheet program like Excel. Other single species models are very complex and have lots of advanced math involved that is pretty darned exotic. Ecosystem models are very complex and some need a super computer to run them because they have so many calculations.

How can fisheries models help fisheries become sustainable?

Models can be used to avoid catastrophes. Models can also be used to look at different trade-offs and scenarios. If we fish one species, what happens to its’ other predators, its’ prey and its’ competitors? Models help show how trade offs might happen so we can interact with oceans in a way most people are happy with.

What can youth do to make a difference to the future of fisheries?

Get out on and in the water on a boat, a surfboard or in SCUBA gear and experience the world fish live in. Join a group so you can learn more about the aquatic environment (volunteer as a shore-keeper, take a marine course, get a job on a fish boat). Find out how other people interact with fish and the ocean. I have found it to be most rewarding to talk to someone with a different point of view because they might show you how to see the world in a new way. Not surprisingly, many people are much more willing to listen to you if you listen to them. When people are listening to you then you ARE making a big difference.

Many restaurants in the Vancouver area offer abalone on their menu. Imagine yourself sitting down in a restaurant and wanting to order abalone. You ask where the abalone is from because you know British Columbia’s Pinto Abalone is threatened. You want to be sure that what you are about to eat is not pushing abalone towards extinction. How can you be sure of the species of abalone once it is on your dinner plate?

Dr. Ruth Withler of the Pacific Biological Station has figured out a way using DNA footprinting! This is similar to human DNA fingerprinting. A small tissue sample is taken from the animal.

DNA is extracted from this sample so scientists can look at the genes. Because DNA is so incredibly small, scientists rely on the specialized equipment of a PCR machine to work with the genes. A PCR machine makes millions of copies of a gene so that there is enough of a sample to be able to work with and identify. The code they see when they look at the gene is a bit like the bar code you find on your groceries. Some genes look different for every individual, while others only differ between species. Withler discovered the gene lysin looks different in each species of Abalone. By looking for the gene that expresses lysin in an abalone the scientist can identify the species of abalone on your dinner plate. Hopefully abalone poachers will be deterred by the knowledge that footprints are left behind after the crime!

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