news and marine activities from the north coast-skeena ... · first nations stewardship society is...

1 The Skeena Current – August 2015

Inside this issue

First Nations Talk

Fish in the Skeena

Watershed - 2

NCSFNSS First

Nations Achieve

Significant Milestone

in Marine Planning - 3

Hartley Bay

Students Take

Their Education

Outside the

Classroom - 4

Creel Survey

Project - 6

Wellbeing

Indicators for Long

Term Monitoring - 7

Tsimshian Nations

Establish

Tsimshian

Environmental

Stewardship

Authority - 7

New Staff - 8

News and marine activities from the North Coast-Skeena First Nations Stewardship Society

August | 2015


Coho Salmon - Photo by Jessica Hawryshyn

First Nations Talk Fish in the Skeena Watershed There is no question that First Nations in the Skeena Watershed have relied on fish since time immemorial. Fish like, salmon and eulachon, sustains communities by serving as a food staple year round and is a cornerstone of First Nations culture; yet, it has also been at the root of many conflicts between Nations and other user groups throughout history. Two recent initiatives have set out to improve communication and collaboration amongst First Nations in the Skeena Watershed, on the subject of fish. The first is the Skeena First Nations Fish Forum, initiated by the B.C. Treaty Commission as a means to advance First Nations governance and co-management of Skeena watershed fisheries. The Skeena First Nations are working towards implementing the principles of the Northwest Tribal Treaty and establish a Skeena Nations Fish Secretariat. The secretariat is made up of political representatives from the Nations within the Skeena Watershed, which includes:

The Tsimshian Nations, as represented by Gitga’at, Gitxaala, Kitselas, Kitsumkalum, Lax Kw’alaams, Metlakatla.

The Gitxsan Nation group of people as represented by the Gitxsan Hereditary Chiefs and the Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs.

The Wet’suwet’en Nation group of people as represented by the Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs.

The Lake Babine Nation group of people as represented by Lake Babine.

The involved First Nations will work together to address issues such as conservation of Skeena fish and enhancement of First Nations access to Skeena fish. The second initiative is the Skeena First Nations Technical Committee, being coordinated by the First Nations Fisheries Council. It was formed to foster greater transparency and improved understanding between First Nations with respect to technical issues related to the management of fish populations originating from the Skeena watershed. The committee is made up of technical representatives from each First Nation that harvests fish originating from the Skeena Watershed, and from North Coast-Skeena First Nations Stewardship Society and Skeena Fisheries Commission. The committee will review fish stock assessment data and look at how DFO makes fishery plans and management decisions. It will discuss the data used to determine Skeena salmon stock status, identify knowledge gaps and potential management actions. In summary, the Fish Forum addresses governance-level fisheries issues and the secretariat is composed of political representatives from the Skeena First Nations. On the other hand, the Technical Committee discusses fisheries data and science and is composed of technical representatives from the Skeena First Nations. Given that North Coast Skeena First Nations Stewardship Society is a technically-focused organization, our efforts will be focused mainly at the Skeena First Nations Technical Committee. It will be important that there is regular communication between these two initiatives as they move forward to improve working relationships between Skeena First Nations on fisheries topics.


Photo courtesy of Government of British Columbia

On April 27th, 2015, an event was held at the Legislature in Victoria, BC to announce

the completion and signing of the North Coast Marine Plan as well as the Central

Coast, Haida Gwaii and North Vancouver Island marine plans under the Marine

Planning Partnership (MaPP). After more than three years of collaborative planning

between First Nations and the provincial government, this event marked a significant

milestone in the MaPP process.

The MaPP initiative began in November 2011, through a Letter of Intent between

First Nations and the Province of British Columbia. However, member and partner

Nations of NCSFNSS were involved in marine planning for several years prior to

MaPP. Chief Don Roberts spoke at the event and reminded people, “our Nations and

organization have been engaged with marine use planning for over eight years.

During that time we have developed our own community plans and worked with other

levels of government on collaborative planning processes.” These community-level

strategic marine use plans provided a foundation for the development of the North

Coast Marine Plan.

At the event, First Nation and provincial representatives also discussed

implementation, the next phase in the MaPP process. Objectives, strategies and

spatial recommendations in the North Coast Marine Plan will be put into action within

the communities during this phase. Work is currently being done through NCSFNSS

to finalize an implementation agreement with the provincial government and develop

a five-year work plan. As Chief Roberts stated, “we at the North Coast-Skeena First

Nations Stewardship Society look forward to working with all levels of government to

implement our plan priorities during the next phase of our Marine Planning

Partnership.”

To watch a recording of the event at the Legislature please visit:

http://mappocean.org/about-mapp/announcement-of-marine-plans/

“Our Nations and

organization have

been engaged with

marine use

planning for over

eight years. During

that time we have

developed our own

community plans

and worked with

other levels of

government on

collaborative

planning

processes.”

NCSFNSS First Nations Achieve Significant Milestone in Marine Planning

http://mappocean.org/about-mapp/announcement-of-marine-plans/


Between January and June of this year the Guardians

worked closely with the class to collect baseline data and conduct ongoing environmental monitoring at Lu lax

kyook estuary, about 1km SSW of Hartley Bay. Lu lax

kyook means “the place where the grass grows” and is

also known as Mossy Bay. The area is culturally

important and is a popular spot for local food harvesting

as well as home to a variety of wildlife.

Students travelled by boat to Lu lax kyook about twice a

month and monitored salinity, temperature, stream flow

and depth at various spots in the estuary. They also

went beach seining and catalogued fish populations.

The program was designed to foster cross curriculum

learning. Students applied, and developed, their math

and science skills through the collection and analysis of

data, and English through the reporting of their findings

and journal entries about their experience. Social

These experiences deepen relationships between the students, the community and their ecology.

Hartley Bay Students Take Their Education Outside the Classrooom It has been an exciting year for the students of Jeremy

Janz’s Grades 6-8 class at Hartley Bay School. They have

been involved in an Ecological Monitoring Program in

partnership with the Gitga’at Guardians, creating

opportunities for students to get outside and learn from

community members through hands-on monitoring

activities. This partnership has created educational

experiences for the students and the community

members. These experiences deepen relationships

between the students, the community and their ecology.

The partnership was initiated by Jeremy. Driven by his

passion for the environment and First Nations culture, he

wanted to create an opportunity for his students to

experience their education and engage in a traditional

way of learning. The school principal, Cameron Hill, and

Chris Picard of the Gitga’at Guardians also saw value in

this, so they worked together to develop a program that

integrated the school’s curriculum into the goals of the

Guardians and Gitga’at community.

Identifying marine species at Lu lax kyook – Photo Courtesy of Hartley Bay School


Studies was also an integral part of the program as

students talked with elders and asked them how they

used the land at Lu lax kyook in the past and what they

harvested there.

In partnership with Pacific Wild (www.pacificwild.org),

four motion sensing cameras were also set up around

Lu lax kyook to allow the class to observe wildlife in the

area. The students watched the camera footage in the

classroom and recorded the animals they saw, as well

as what the animals did. One camera captured a bear

scratching its back against a tree. All information was

shared with the Guardians.

Throughout the course of this program, Jeremy

observed that his students were most engaged when

they were outside, experiencing their education.

Similarly, students felt that they were learning more by

getting outside and into the community. They particularly

enjoyed beach seining as it was the most hands-on

activity. Students wore waders and beach seined at low

tide, observing fish and other marine species up close.

The class recently won the Learning for a Sustainable

Future Jack Layton Award for Youth Action in

Sustainability for their unique Ecological Monitoring

Program at Lu lax kyook. They placed first out of 50

schools across Canada and were awarded with a

certificate as well as $500. The students, the school

and the community were excited and very proud when

they heard the news of the award. It reaffirmed the

value of the work they have been part of.

Measuring Fish – Photo Courtesy of Hartley Bay School

Beach seining at low tide – Photo Courtesy of Hartley Bay School

http://www.pacificwild.org/


Creel Survey Project The summer of 2015 marks the beginning of an exciting new project for NCSFNSS. In recent years, North Coast-Skeena First Nations have expressed interest in being more involved in the monitoring of recreational fisheries, at the same time that there have been cuts to DFO program funding and staff. So, in 2014, NCSFNSS submitted a funding proposal to the Pacific Salmon Commission, to take over the Areas 3 and 4 Creel Survey in 2015. A creel survey is a recreational fishery monitoring program which collects important salmon and ground-fish harvest data and biological samples that are used by DFO to do stock assessment and fishery management. The Pacific Salmon Commission funds projects that can provide improved salmon stock assessment information, so NCSFNSS’ proposal was well received and was awarded the funding. The Areas 3 and 4 Creel Survey program is based in Prince Rupert and Port Edward and involves stationing trained technicians at locations where recreational anglers typically start and end their daily fishing trips: the Rushbrook boat launch, the Prince Rupert Yacht Club, and the Port Edward boat launch. Additionally, a survey of fishing Areas 3 and 4 is carried out by aircraft to count recreational fishing vessels. NCSFNSS biologists will be working with a fisheries consulting firm, LGL Ltd., to analyze and report on the information collected. During the months of April and May, NCSFNSS prepared for the project by hiring staff and purchasing equipment needed to carry out the survey. Six new seasonal staff were hired to carry out all of the coordination and field activities associated with the project, and surveyors started in the field on June 1st, 2015. Monthly harvest estimates of fish including halibut, coho and chinook, will be produced for the months of June, July and August, with final reporting taking place late in 2015. NCSFNSS hopes that running the creel survey program will be a step in the right direction for increased First Nations involvement and capacity building in fishery monitoring.

Brittany Fenwick (Creel Survey Lead Hand) about to conduct an overflight recreational effort survey


____________________________________________________________________________

Gitxaala Environmental Monitoring (GEM) continues to apply

elements of the Gitxaala Marine Use Plan. Over the winter,

GEM contracted Nicole Kaechele to develop Gitxaala social,

economic, and cultural wellbeing indicators that can be

incorporated into GEM’s work on various Environmental

Assessments. Working from the Nation’s Marine Use Plan,

Wellness Plan, and other GEM documents, Nicole used a

methodology developed with Tribes in the Pacific Northwest

to identify relevant indicators that can be monitored over the

long term. This initial list will be reviewed by Gitxaala

technicians, Elders and leadership. The indicators will be

used to monitor Gitxaala community and territorial wellbeing

in the context of major projects and community

programming.

Seaweed harvesting – Photo by Colin Nelson

Wellbeing Indicators for Long Term Monitoring

Tsimshian Nations Establish Tsimshian Environmental Stewardship Authority (TESA)

The Gitga’at, Gitxaala, Kitselas, Kitsumkalum and Metlakatla Nations have come together to form the

Tsimshian Environmental Stewardship Authority (TESA). The announcement was made on July 9, 2015. TESA

has been formed in response to increasing industrial development pressures in the North Coast. The letter

signed by the elected Chiefs of the five Nations stated:

“While the responsibility to evaluate and manage the impacts of development remains with each First Nation,

the Authority will provide a venue for the Nations to come together to address common environmental

stewardship issues, including development proposals and cumulative impacts, through coordinated

engagement with governments and projects proponents throughout Tsimshian territories.”

The announcement letter went on to state that the critical work that will be done under the auspices of TESA

will include, but not be limited to, activities such as:

Providing expert advice regarding the establishment of baselines studies and monitoring progams

Communicating potential project impacts and proposed mitigation measures

Maintaining a regional forum where common concerns and potential mitigation strategies can be

discussed and implemented together

TESA will seek to engage Lax Kw’alaams, as well as the federal and provincial governments, and industry to

work together to “…find a path forward that protects the environmental legacy with which we are entrusted.”


New Staff: Angela Addison, Fisheries Biologist

Angela grew up in Prince Rupert and has worked in the fields of fisheries biology and management with First Nations, commercial and recreational fisheries on the North Coast since the year 2000. Angela holds a BSc degree in Global Resource Systems from the Faculty of Land, Food and Community at UBC and a technical diploma in Coastal Integrated Resource Management from NWCC. She has experience in planning and implementing fishery catch monitoring programs for stock assessment and management purposes as well as supporting First Nations commercial fisheries and parallel community development projects. Having worked with Federal and Provincial agencies as well as First Nations Governments, stakeholder groups and other community interest groups, Angela enjoys finding commonalities and strengths that link resource user groups together to collaborate on creation of improvements in fisheries management.

612 2nd Ave West

Prince Rupert, BC

V8J 1H2

250-624-8614

www.northcoastskeenafirstnations.ca

http://www.northcoastskeenafirstnations.ca/

news and marine activities from the north coast-skeena ... · first nations stewardship society is...

Documents