I’d like to thank the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans for inviting me to make a submission. I’d like to first provide my background in the salmon fishery.
I’m a third generation commercial fisherman from Prince Rupert, B.C. I fish with my father and brother on my father’s boat. My father started fishing salmon when he was 14 years old. He bought his first boat when he was 19, and has proceeded to make a successful fishing business over the years.
My brother and I started fishing as kids, when he was eight and I was 10 years old. We didn’t have very much to do in those first years. It was more about spending time with our dad, though we did learn a lot during that time. When we each started high school, we fished the whole summer for salmon. Once we graduated high school, we both started fishing the other fisheries that which my father participated in. We currently fish herring, salmon, halibut and sablefish.
I’ve been involved in trolling for salmon for over 30 years. I’ve seen how the fishery has changed over that time, from being open coastwide and able to retain all species of salmon during the summer, to area licensing and being able to retain only certain species, to risk averse weak stock management curtailing the timing and areas where salmon can be fished. Over that time, we’ve been involved in numerous charters to do DNA sampling on chinook and coho salmon to help figure out the run timing of the different stocks of chinook and coho.
Salmon fishing has always been a important part of our yearly income. Over the years, I’ve seen a slow decline in the income generated from fishing for salmon. My father has done his best to maintain a viable operation and has invested considerably back into fishing over the years.
When chinook salmon went to ITQ, we bought another northern troll licence in area ATF, because when the catch allocation was divided up, it was done by the average and we had never caught the average in any year that we had fished salmon. It was not based on catch history or participation in the fishery but by licence.
We purchased that licence, so that we could continue catching the same amount of chinooks that we always caught. Over these last few years, and the way that salmon is now being managed, it is exceedingly tough to generate the same income that we used to make. We’ve had to expand into other fisheries, so we can make enough money to survive, and pay our crew members enough in order for them to make a living fishing.
I realize that priorities change over time, and what one government values can change with the next government. Fish and licences are not property, they’re a privilege, at least that’s what the court says. However, when you’ve invested blood, sweat and tears into building a business, you shouldn’t be penalized, because those priorities have changed.
Reconciliation with first nations needs to occur. It, however, needs to be fair to everyone involved in the harvesting of fish. What doesn’t need to happen is the systematic erosion of the commercial fleet under the guise of reconciliation. Canadians are responsible for reconciliation, and commercial fishermen shouldn’t be the ones to bear the financial burden of that. Conservation can’t fall only on the commercial fleet, when there are numerous users and reasons why there are weak salmon stocks.
Habitat degradation, pollution, run-off from roads and residential development are some of the contributing factors to the decline in salmon; yet, there is no talk about restricting human development around salmon habitat only less commercial fishing. There has also been no talk about accurate catch accounting from the other user groups, those being first nation and recreational fishing. I believe that everyone has a right to salmon and fish in general, but there should be legislation requiring credible catch accounting.
There should be mandatory catch reporting similar to what occurs in commercial fishing. It is next to impossible to manage something if you don’t have accurate numbers of removals. The government needs to also invest back into doing the proper science and stock assessments needed to manage the different salmon stocks.
Right now, it is an inflexible best guess, where there is no in-season adjustment to the strength of the runs appearing. Officials make a preseason forecast, and if more fish show up than they expect, there is no increase in the available harvest, and the same goes for poor returns. They do not curtail the fishing effort. Poor data makes for poor management decisions.
I sincerely hope that the committee recommends investing in the science, and monitoring needed to maintain salmon stocks for future generations.
I’d like to close by saying this testimony was composed Monday evening, April 12, after receiving an email Monday morning, April 12, asking if I’d be able to appear before the committee on Wednesday, April 14. While I appreciate the opportunity to testify, a bit more notice would’ve been greatly appreciated, so I would have had more time to prepare.
Thank you very much for your time.