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[wildmanyeah]

Its been suggest in social media by first nations that this problem would not be so extensive if DFO offered first nations a better Comprehensive Fisheries Agreements, aka economic opportunities (EO). That then this fish would go to licenced processors and there would not be this issue. That DFO's offer this year was not worth the paper it was printed on.


Also Rod your extremely brave for being outspoken about this and it is awesome that you are bringing these issues to light. I can imagine tho there is landslide of pressure coming your way tho who would like this to stay out of the media.  I wouldn't be surprised if you get some phone calls and emails forms representatives of different groups to cool it off.  Best of luck, I know you will probably hit a point and say F it all, Stay strong

[roeman]

Thanks. I'll C&P what I wrote on Facebook to accompany this photo here.

Another day, another dump of precious sockeye salmon. If you come across them and send photos to me, please include a date and location. You should also file a report with ORR at 1-800-465-4336 or DFO.ORR-ONS.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca at the same time. I'm only sharing some of the photos or videos received, but rest assured that all of them are being compiled into something that will hopefully put an end to this unnecessary waste. I'm glad to see since the video I released a couple of weeks ago, this story has not lost momentum. Thanks to Jesse Zeman from BC Wildlife Federation, it has made it into more news platforms on recent days.

Global BC:
https://globalnews.ca/video/9121261/thousands-of-illegal-sockeye-being-dumped-near-fraser-river/

The Vancouver Sun:
https://vancouversun.com/business/signs-of-sockeye-salmon-poaching-abound-though-fraser-river-remains-off-limits

iNFOnews Penticton:
https://infotel.ca/newsitem/sockeye-being-caught-sold-illegally-before-reaching-kamloops/it93943

Someone has been suggesting on my discussion forum that by spreading this across numerous news platforms, it makes it seem like the problem is bigger than it actually is. I call that BS. The reality is that we don't know the extent of this problem, and the goal of spreading the word is to deter people from buying fish illegally and cut down the demand. It's also a reminder to Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Minister Joyce Murray that support is desperately needed for our enforcement officers. I don't want to be talking about this again in the coming summers, I'd rather be sharing good fishing experiences, but this has to stop if we still want good fishing experiences in the future. I also have had conversations with various First Nation members who are just as frustrated and baffled by this. Once again, it is in every single Canadian's best interest to weed out the few bad apples who are stealing our fish so we can focus on what's more important, which is collaborations to restore and enhance our salmon populations.

OMG..... A few bad apples...... There are so many dump sites on land and 10x that on the water.  Its not the same 2 people... If you think different then your a fool...
I moved here in 1989 and it is the same every year.  Could easily copy and paste these 33 pages to a discussion page next year. 

[GENERAL-SHERMAN]

It’s getting to the point where just netting the fish for fn at the mouth would be more beneficial . It would cut the black market off . The fish would have a higher resale price if any band members decided to they wanted  to sell their share . if commercial fishers harvested and processed them for fn they would actually be bled and put on ice .the fish would have better table fare and more accurate escapement numbers could be recorded on the fraser and it’s tributaries. Nobody really knows how much damage is being done but we all have a pretty good idea how rampant it is. Fn depend on food for social and ceremonial needs but I think the ones that really need it are likely not the ones abusing this resource . It’s greed and the few and these back door dealings ruining this river . It really can’t be managed with a hopeful attitude and wishful thinking . Something has to change .

[RalphH]

Rod said:

Someone has been suggesting on my discussion forum that by spreading this across numerous news platforms, it makes it seem like the problem is bigger than it actually is. I call that BS. The reality is that we don't know the extent of this problem

Thank you Rod you have pulled the words right out of my mouth. We don't know the extent of the problem. It may be 1,000s illegally marketed fish and it may be 10,000s of thousands. That's exactly what I have said and simply copying pasting the same news release from the BCWF does not get anyone any closer to the extent of the problem.

Send them to DFO, to your local MP and to the Minister. Send them to the PM or even all the MPs in BC. That may do something. Nattering on here or Facebook will not!

[tworivers]

First Nation leaders need to get control of the "media labeled" poachers within their communities.
They appear to take no responsibility in the shameful actions of some of it's band members, and instead lay blame to a lack of DFO EO's.
These leaders proclaim to be the true stewards of the land, and yet allow this senseless waste to continue.
Get control of these bad apples, or you are going to have a big PR problem on their hands.

[GENERAL-SHERMAN]

First Nation leaders need to get control of the "media labeled" poachers within their communities.
They appear to take no responsibility in the shameful actions of some of it's band members, and instead lay blame to a lack of DFO EO's.
These leaders proclaim to be the true stewards of the land, and yet allow this senseless waste to continue.
Get control of these bad apples, or you are going to have a big PR problem on their hands.

It’s been 2+ decades . It’s not going to change .  It’s not like every First Nations person has a boat and nets . How many off each reserve even net? Probably a pretty small number or percentage .

[mikeyman]

Follow the money from the fish sales. I guarantee you it leads straight to the first nations delegates and chiefs pockets. Same bad apples is a bull poo deflection. Dfo is only partially to blame. Takes one group to make bad management descions and one group to exploit it. Setting up a means to sell the fish legally could be a solution to the dumping. But it doesn't stop or change the Gill nets destruction and the unreasonable amount of fish being taken by one interest group. 90 percent of fish to FN 10 percent to commercial then the recs got 0.02 percent. Who pays taxes and liscence fees again?
Oh conservation comes last by the way.

Every deflection excuse in the book. If the leaders gave a damn this wouldn't continue.  It is so blatantly obvious that they have the interest of filling thier own pockets. It is sad when u hear stories of poverty and people not even getting
actual food fish because the fish are being taken and sold! 90 percent of those fish are sold.
Sounds like capitalism when a select few are benefiting and sitting high on the hog while many others are in poverty.

[Alomar]

Hate to break it to you fellas but it will not get any better, pretty soon the “stewards of the Land” will be the only ones allowed to fish, just look at whats happening out in the ocean , we are almost shut down there, i give it 5 years…. Great way to bring a nation together and move forward as one hey
Sad sad sad times

[mikeyman]

Hate to break it to you fellas but it will not get any better, pretty soon the “stewards of the Land” will be the only ones allowed to fish, just look at whats happening out in the ocean , we are almost shut down there, i give it 5 years…. Great way to bring a nation together and move forward as one hey
Sad sad sad times

If it comes to that then I say we all fish anyways. Protest and then some. They going to fine all of us? Go ahead. Do what they do. Fish anyways since it is our right. Shouldn't be any different at this point.
F dfo.

[Alomar]

Yup unfortunately im almost at that point

[chardeemacdenis]

I've seen both sides of the sockeye economy. Two groups go out to catch and sell fish. A week later I see group 1 and the kids have new shoes and clothes, and are all smiles. Then I see group 2 and they're all cracked out with sores opening up on their skin. In reality group #1 is 99% of the people out there.

People are excited about wasted fish and I agree, but go see the waste coming out of your local super market. Do you think all that wild caught rock fish and sole and halibut gets sold 100% of the time? and where does that go? A lot of those bottom fish are caught by destructive draggers as well. How many seafood sections are open in the lower mainland? Does paying tax absolve us of the waste?

The sockeye economy whether people like it or not is a boon to local FN and has all kinds of societal benefits for them. I'd way rather buy sockeye from a local band than to pay an extra $20 a fish just so Jim Pattison can put his dirty richard beaters on it.
 I don't buy my fish because I don't have to, but a FN cottage fishery doesn't bother me one bit. No one can convince me that the lower Fraser commi openings are a better option. There are few things I have witnessed in the Fraser River that are more destructive than the total wipeout of 60km sections of the river. Calling it a FSC only fishery is an insult to everyone's intelligence and it boils down to regulatory BS. We ought to rip the band aid off and reorganize our fisheries for prosperity and not just sustainability.

Who thinks that this year's return of red springs in the Vedder had anything to do with curtailing fisheries in the Juan de Fuca and Salish?

[Bavarian Raven]

Curious (please dont take this the wrong way!) but in years when the fish numbers are so low there is not even enough for a rec. opening nor a commercial opening, why are FNs allowed to still use nets to salmon fish and not just rod-n-reel? They could still get some fish and not cause as much stress on already strained stocks?

[mikeyman]

Curious (please dont take this the wrong way!) but in years when the fish numbers are so low there is not even enough for a rec. opening nor a commercial opening, why are FNs allowed to still use nets to salmon fish and not just rod-n-reel? They could still get some fish and not cause as much stress on already strained stocks?

Because they want to catch as many as they can and sell asmany as they can. Opening or not. All about the money.

[Rodney]

Curious (please dont take this the wrong way!) but in years when the fish numbers are so low there is not even enough for a rec. opening nor a commercial opening, why are FNs allowed to still use nets to salmon fish and not just rod-n-reel? They could still get some fish and not cause as much stress on already strained stocks?

FN's FSC fisheries are not like recreational fisheries, individual participants are not just fishing for themselves. Only a number of designated participants are out there catching fish for the entire community. The fish are caught, recorded, brought back, and distributed among elders and families. Using a rod and reel is not feasible for this fishery since a number of fish is expected to be harvested within an opening time.

[wildmanyeah]

I guarantee you it leads straight to the first nations delegates and chiefs pockets.

While i know of a few cases of direct chief involvement in the past. I would say that most do try their best they can to combat poachers/fish dumping ect and i feel what you just said is uncalled for accusation.

Its like saying the mayor of vancouver is involved from and benefits from all the crime that takes place in vancouver.

selling FSC fish tho seems to be a bit different from poachers, Seems there is a good amount of support from community's and chief to sell it. They believe it is the "social" aspect of FSC and point to cases like 5 nations and marshall.