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Location: Fraser River Basin, Basin wide Project Summary
The FSC Catch Database provides the First Nation with a software tool for managing FSC fishers and fisheries data associated with FN communal fisheries licences. Catch data collected by fisheries monitors, or submitted by fishers, can be entered into the database according to licence and permit or designation card number. Catch and effort data can be summarized for internal use using various reports, and exported electronically to DFO for incorporation into regional catch databases. For First Nations fisheries authorities that also manage the distribution of communal catch to community members, the database also provides tracking forms and distribution reports for internal use only. Data for other types of fisheries, such as Economic Opportunity Fisheries, may also be managed using this software, though these data are not exported to DFO since they are available from other sources. An initial survey is required to identify FN organizations in the Fraser watershed suitable for DBMS implementation. This survey would be based on interviews with FN fisheries organizations, tribal councils, and DFO Aboriginal Fisheries Strategy (AFS) managers knowledgeable with DFO data standards and requirements, as well as FN data needs and existing technical and personnel capacity. After suitable First Nations fisheries organizations have been identified, prioritization may be required to match installation efforts with budgetary allowances. This process should be open and transparent and based on a general agreement between interested parties regarding the most effective allocation of existing resources. A survey of data requirements for selected First Nations organizations is then necessary to tailor the existing FSC Catch Database to the particular needs of each organization. Database installation at participating First Nations fisheries offices would include a demonstration of the software to interested personnel, plus training and technical support for FN fishery managers/staff to be self-reliant with program. Assistance would be provided for initial data loading (e.g., FN membership). In addition to facilitating the development of local technical capacity to encourage sustainable fisheries, the database can be used to further First Nation community involvement in making natural resource management decisions, and increase awareness regarding how the outcomes or results of the decisions will affect them Interim Progress Interim Report At least two other BCI FN Fisheries organizations are being considered for FN FSC Database implementation pending results from NSTC progress, including the Carrier-Sekani TC and Tsilqotin NG, depending on budget availability and compatibility with DFO catch monitoring programs. A’Tlegay FS also anticipates attending the UFFCA October meeting to demonstrate the program to member First Nations to assess other or future possibilities in the BCI region. In addition, if budget allows, contact will be re-established with Lower Fraser groups such as the LFARMF to assess the potential for establishing the program there. The initial survey process was facilitated to some extent by a concurrent DFO regional effort to increase support for FSC catch monitoring through the PICFI (Pacific Integrated Commercial Fisheries Initiative) program. A number of FN Fisheries operations exist, characterized by a range of functional capacity for catch monitoring data management and reporting. Contacts with several potential FN Fisheries organizations, including NSTC (Northern Shuswap Tribal Council), LFARMF ( Lower Fraser Aquatic Resource Management Forum) and the UFFCA (, Upper Fraser Fisheries Conservation Alliance) had already been established upon award of contract. However, coordination of efforts for improving FSC catch monitoring with regional DFO resource managers in the Lower Fraser and BC Interior streamlined the process for development of a coordinated strategy for DBMS deployment. Thus the initial survey “report” has evolved into a collaborative strategy between A’Tlegay and DFO and interested FN Fisheries organizations in the Fraser watershed, to deploy the program in locations where technical support on the DFO side is available to manage the incoming data. A FSC Database Technician position was designated in the proposal. An application/interview process was initiated, however the position remains unfilled. Currently, DFO employee Steve Ratko is providing local technical support to NSTC for the FSC database, under an in-kind arrangement with DFO. A’Tlegay FS is currently in communication with DFO PICFI personnel regarding filling this position, as a similar position has been identified by PICFI for implementation in each of the BCI and Lower Fraser regions. Final Results FINAL RESULTS First Nations performing catch monitoring activities in the Upper Fraser were surveyed for their interest and need for database management tools. Based on that data, and consultations with DFO, the database was or is being demo’d, customized and installed in three FN fisheries offices: Northern Shuswap Tribal Council (NSTC), Carrier-Sekani Tribal Council (CSTC), and Lheidli T’enneh First Nation (LT). A fourth possibility pending hardware upgrades is the Tsilqotin National Government (TNG). The database is fully operational at NSTC where it was used to manage FSC catch data in 2008. Installations at other Upper Fraser FNs in March 2009 will provide data management capabilities for the coming fishing season. *DFO historically uses an employee a catch data technician who would travel to remote band offices to input the catch monitoring data and collate summary data by band, interview and date. These output data generally required further manipulation at the DFO office to provide critical information to DFO managers. *Using the FSC Database, these data are now automatically error-checked before delivery to DFO via email. Data updates can therefore be provided to DFO in a more timely manner. Additional information not available previously include Gear, Fishing Time details, and CPUE for each species. The electronic data are accompanied by a comprehensive report which provides DFO with an intelligible summary of the data. *Timing is key - It can be problematic to provide new services to FN fisheries organizations during fishing (July-September) or winter (Nov-Jan) seasons - personnel are either not available or capacity does not exist. Optimum window of opportunity for demo/setup/training time may be: March - June, and October. *Expect delays - Implementation of fisheries-oriented programs that involve over-worked individuals from multiple understaffed government offices will necessarily impact projected timelines. Whereas catch monitoring data were previously collated for one-way delivery to DFO authorities in the most expedient format, using the FSC Database puts control of catch monitoring data in the FN groups hands. This enables the FN group to use their own data, not only to meet DFO’s requirements, but for their own custom purposes as well. As catch monitoring data accrues in the FN’s database over multiple seasons, the data will provide the FN with an accessible dataset for local fishery analysis, which can be used for more effective fisheries management (via internal permitting capabilities, communal fish allocation and distribution reports, etc), and community education (catch & effort analyses, trends analysis, etc) concerning sustainable fisheries Where this project fell short of desired outcomes was in the hiring of an individual (preferably an aboriginal person) for the FSC Database Technician position as designated in the proposal. The intention for this position was to provide on-the-ground local expertise, independent of any particular FN group, to provide technical support to all area FN groups using the FSC Database, and to promote its use to other FN groups as appropriate.
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