This post was originally published to The Fisherman website. More archived The Fisherman blog posts can be found on our Archive Page.
Problem:
First Nations and commercial fish harvesters need to work together to benefit ALL commercial fisheries.
Solutions:
- Need to develop an agreed upon a common Coastal Fisheries Strategy with First Nations/Communities/Owner-operators/NNFC/Native Brotherhood/other organizations
- Help FNs develop individual operator fisheries for their Economic (PICFI) fisheries
- Round tables
- Meet separately from large planning groups
- Round tables need to be everywhere
- Start with Bella Coola on Central Coast
- In season, allocations can be transferred
- Positive way to get fishermen fishing – use small bite fisheries as assessment fisheries to permit earlier openings
- Need facilitators
- Fishermen and First Nations get together to figure out allocations.
- Consultants are representing FNs.
- Fishermen should talk directly with First Nations to ensure lines of communication are open
- Indigenous fishers in FN economic fisheries – inland and marine –
- Opportunities for dialogue
- Help with training in commercial fishing techniques (if skills have faded)
- Allocations to FN are not necessarily going to indigenous fishers so we need to raise this issue with government and FN communities
- PICFI allocations can be used to attract young fishermen and or to improve finances of existing indigenous fishermen through increased catches
- Commercial fishers can use PICFI as an example of Community-based allocations that can be leased out at nominal costs.