Partnership with Kitselas First Nation opens a new chapter for conservation-oriented fly anglers
It started with a letter, followed up by a phone call, and then good conversations around shared values.
The result was an agreement to collaborate. First on securing resources from the federally administered Environmental Damages Fund to start a series of watershed assessment and restoration projects. Then, on putting the pieces in place to get the Kitselas fish wheel back on the river, catching salmon.
Fish wheels are harvesting tools that mimic the selective approach B.C.’s First Nations used throughout their history. That approach was discounted, and eventually outlawed by the Federal government, who sanctioned commercial net fisheries at a massive scale, and stood by while the abundance of salmon that forms so much of B.C.’s heritage disappeared.
It’s not an exaggeration to say that because of our abject mismanagement of salmon and steelhead, fishing selectively is our best option going forward. Kitselas, alongside a handful of First Nations in B.C. and Washington State are blazing that trail: employing pound traps, beach seines, fish wheels and other tools that target healthy stocks for harvest, while having the capacity to let others go. It’s been humbling to see such elegant technology work so efficiently, while meeting the needs of people in the communities where our salmon and steelhead originate.
Healthy watersheds and selective fishing are great combinations with nothing but upsides for fishing communities and those who care about salmon and steelhead. For Kitselas First Nation, they secure food for elders, and employment for young people. They create new opportunities for tourism, and guiding as the next generation incorporates new skills into existing knowledge. Programs like these build pride, and keep people connected to the land.
Supporting this project is a first for our Board of Directors. It’s been an honor for us to be part of it, and we’re looking forward to new collaborations. Too often the pursuit of salmon and steelhead has divided us. Working together to realize the collective advantages of fishing selectively brings us together.
Watch the story of the Kitselas Fish Wheel program on Facebook
With special thanks to BCFFF veteran Jim Culp, Kitselas Chief Councillor Glenn Bennet, Kitselas Five Tier CEO David Hansen, and Fish Wheel Veterans Fred McKenzie and Robert Bennet.