Update March 9: 3:25. Please note, this is ancedotal from sources in the communities. We have not confirmed this reports with DFO:
Herring update:
We received an email from Joshua Charleson mid-afternoon. He said his dad has been listening to the seiner guys talk all day and they are talking about the Gulf guys taking their gear off because there is no hope of getting quota there. Just not enough fish. The next hope is the Central Coast, they are saying.
The Barkley test set today, one seiner reported, was that it was worse than yesterday.
After Esperanza was shut down this morning at 10 a.m. they went to Friendly Cove and the lighthouse. Joshua spoke with Ray Williams at Friendly Cove, and he said the seiners are now heading back south. Joshua said he can only assume the test sets around Friendly Cove were not good.
But about 45 minutes ago, Velina Vincent in Kyuquot said boats from her community are heading out to protest the herring fishery because they hear they are going up that way.
We will give updates as we get them.
Update March 8 at 3:26 p.m.
DFO is announcing the opening of parts of Esperanza Inlet this afternoon for commercial roe herring seine fishing. Below is the notice that was sent by DFO a few minutes ago.
Roe herring seine fishery open at 16:00 hours March 8, 2015 for Subarea 25-13 excluding the area bounded by a contiguous line commencing on the Nootka Island shoreline at 49 degrees 50.021 minutes north 126 degrees 57.891 minutes west and continuing on a bearing of 260°T to a point at 49 degrees 49.922 minutes north 126 degrees 58.777 minutes west continuing on a bearing of 219°T to a point located at 49 degrees 47.601 minutes north 127 degrees 01.763 minutes west and continuing on a bearing of 109°T to a point at 49 degrees 46.941 minutes north 126 degrees 58.862 minutes west then continuing on a bearing of 074°T to a point on the Nootka Island shoreline located at 49 degrees 47.541 minutes north 126 degrees 55.565 minutes west.
Variation Order: 2015-SN-25-01
Vessels are required to carry an at-sea observer for this opening and until further notice when engaged in fishing as per the roe herring seine licence conditions.
Please remember to change your clocks for daylight savings time.
Updated March 8:
DFO CANCELLED BARKLEY SOUND HERRING FISHERY! Tsehsaht’s protest on the water was therefore CANCELLED
"The WCVI seine pool has determined that the roe quality in today’s test is currently too poor for herring roe markets. The MV Ocean Marauder and MV Prosperity each have an at-sea observer on board and are hereby designated under scientific licence to test for herring roe quality and collect biological samples in Area 25. All fish not retained for sampling must be released in a manner that causes the least possible harm. The March 8 Area 23 roe herring seine opening will not proceed. Variation order number 2015-SN-23-01 is hereby revoked.
The test vessel Mary Isle will continue to collect biological samples in Area 23 as planned."
Updated: Tseshaht First Nation Chief Councillor Hugh Braker has been receiving a lot of offers to help from Nuu-chah-nulth Nations as the Tseshaht fishermen put their branches in the waters of Barkley Sound to harvest herring roe, and delay the commercial fishermen in the territory. The protest is an exercise of Tseshaht rights and is to protect the herring resources which are still rebuilding, Nuu-chah-nulth people assert.
"I want to publicly thank the Ahousaht and Hesquiaht who are sending boats to help us tomorrow. Awesome," wrote Braker on his facebook page earlier today. "We are now told there are five seiners in Barkley Sound. We need more boats."
And soon Tla-o-qui-aht was offering to send boats!
Tseshaht released a press release earlier today regarding tomorrow's protest.
Press Statement
TSESHAHT TO PROTECT RIGHTS AND RESOURCES
The Minsiter of Fisheries has chosen to open the West Coast of Vancouver Island to a herring fishery this year. We are informed that the commercial herring fishery will commence on Sunday, March 8, 2015 in the Barkley Sound area on the West Coast of Vancouver Island. Tseshaht will take the necessary steps to exercise our rights and prevent commercial boats from accessing the resource until Tseshaht needs are met. Tseshaht members will be going in their boats beginning today to exercise their rights and prevent the commercial fleet from fishing until Tseshaht needs are met.
The Minister of Fisheries has not consulted with Tseshaht on this proposed herring fishery. She has not addressed Tseshaht’s needs or said how Tseshaht’s needs and concerns will be met if the commercial fishery is allowed to fish the herring before Tseshaht is able to meet its needs. Her actions are completely contrary to a recognition of Tseshaht rights and title and the direction given by the courts.
Tseshaht holds the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Minister Gail Shea completely responsible for this turn of events. It was her Ministry that authorized overfishing in the 70s and 80s which led to the steep decline in herring numbers on the West Coast of Vancouver Island. It is her Ministry that has chosen to ignore Tseshaht pleas for discussion, consultation and accommodation. It is her Ministry that has chosen to ignore the direction given by the courts.
Tseshaht will always stand ready to discuss and negotiate with government but we will not stand idly by while our rights and title are trampled upon and ignored. We will always plan for the responsible exercise of our rights so that the many generations after us will share those same rights.
The Tseshaht are in the front of the fight to save the herring resource and to stop overfishing. The herring are just now beginning to recover from the disastrous DFO policies of the 70s and 80s. We will continue that fight.
We urge the Minister to avoid this path to confrontation and to sit down and negotiate.
Original Story:
Hugh Braker, Tseshaht Chief Councillor, has just issued the following statement on his facebook page:
Tseshaht:
The Minister opened the West Coast of Vancouver Island to the herring fishery before we even got our herring roe and without consulting with us or telling us how she would accommodate our needs. The commercial fishery is going first before us.
The band will pay $60 for the fuel of up to 15 Tseshaht boats to go to our traditional territories very early Sunday morning and set trees and branches in the water. In addition, we will also buy all the roe that you are able to harvest. We would like the branches to be as large as possible.
In addition Andy has some crab traps and prawn traps for boats to set in the water. We have reports of seine boats on their way to the west coast of the Island. We have also received reports of some spawn in our traditional territory at the Alma Russell Islands and near the entrance to Vernon Bay. If the commercial fleet starts that will probably mean nothing for us. We must come first. If enough trees and crab traps and prawn traps are put in the water, we might be able to delay the commercial harvest or shut it down completely until our needs are met. IF YOU HAVE A BOAT, PLEASE HELP ON THIS ONE. BUT ABOVE ALL ELSE STAY SAFE. The weather should be perfect Sunday for setting trees in the water. The Minister must be shown that Tseshaht rights come first!! Please message Andy if you can help. I have asked him to co-ordinate. TSESHAHT RIGHTS FIRST!
