A Tseshaht community meeting was held on June 30 to discuss a new commercial fisheries deal negotiated between the department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and Tseshaht First Nation, and by secret ballot the deal was approved by a vote of 49 to seven.
The deal will see 33 per cent of the commercial total allowable catch shared between Tseshaht and Hupacasath First Nations, with the remainder of the catch going to commercial fishers in areas D and B, said Tseshaht Fisheries Biologist Andy Olsen.
With the current run size of sockeye salmon set at 1,050,000 fish, it means 165,000 pieces would go to the commercial fisheries of the two first nations.
This is the first time in many, many years that Tseshaht has approved an agreement with DFO on a commercial fisheries allotment. But this year, there was a significantly higher allocation being offered, said Olsen.
In past deals offered by DFO, the allocation for Tseshaht commercial fishers would actually decrease as the strength of the run increased. In one very good sockeye year, the percentage of allowable catch actually fell to only eight per cent for the nations. These offers were always rejected by Tseshaht.
Olsen is now working to secure buyers for this year’s catch. He’s also hoping to build some added value into the nation’s commercial efforts to maximize the economic benefit to Tseshaht members, with the possibility of canned and smoked fish finding their way onto retail store shelves.
Individual fishers already have buyers in place, said Olsen, but the nation hopes to develop relationships with core buyers so that the fishers will get the best price available in the market for their catch.
Olsen said, however, that Tseshaht would not dictate which buyers the fishermen can sell to. Roadside sales are also expected to continue.
Plans are now underway to increase fishing efforts outside of Polly’s Point Wednesday to Friday.
