A DFO decision to close the commercial harvesting of herring spawn on kelp is drawing extreme disappointment from the Heiltsuk nation.
As part of their 2021-22 Integrated Fisheries Management Plan for Pacific Herring, the DFO made the unilateral decision to close the fishery on Heiltsuk territory.
According to the Heiltsuk, this decision was not made in accordance with their bilateral process, and infringes on their rights.
They say that, unlike roe fisheries, the SOK fishery does not cause fish mortality, and is self-limiting since harvesting is only viable when there is an abundance of spawn.
The decision to close the fishery comes just one month prior to the start of the harvest, and ignores the Nation’s constitutional right to commercially harvest the fish.
Now, the Heiltsuk Tribal Council is consulting with hereditary chiefs and the community to determine how best to respond to the decision.
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