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Location: Fraser Valley, Adjacent to the Harrison River confluence Project Summary
SUMMARY The Chehalis Indian Band and the Fraser River Salmon Table Society have partnered to work with a small group of sport fishing and First Nations representatives and their partners to produce a video to promote peaceful approaches to interactions between the sport anglers and Aboriginal drift-net fishers who both fish for salmon in the lower Fraser River, British Columbia. The video will how the right way the engagement of the two fisheries should have been handled. OVERVIEW This project arose from an incident on the Fraser River salmon fishery in 2009 where Indian drift-net gear and sport anglers collided, resulting in a violent confrontation. This proposal was generated by a small working group of First Nations and sport fishing organizations in BC that committed to find ways to get along on the river. Among several ideas raised by the group to get along was the need for the two fishing cultures to develop ways to communicate with each other in the fishery, with respect and manners appropriate for the area’s large population. A production of river manners demonstrated by the parties in short movie format was chosen as the media of choice because it could be easily distributed and viewed. Chehalis led this project proposal with the Salmon Table and sport fishing groups to address the need in the community to provide a safe place for their fishers. OBJECTIVES Objective #1 1. Create an understanding to serve as a guide for sports anglers and First Nations drift-net fishers in the lower Fraser salmon fishery to follow when their fisheries engage each other;
The development of the video will be a joint effort between sports anglers and First Nations and their partners (i.e. RCMP Native Liaison Office) that have been party to a rolling dialogue in the lower Fraser River aimed at getting along on the River - the proposed video production was one of several ideas aimed at finding solutions to their conflicts on the water, and a gesture from conflicting interests that want to work out how to get along. An RFP circulated by the Fraser River Salmon Table on behalf of Chehalis has been responded to by 4 separate companies. Bear Studio Productions Ltd. have now been approached to work on the project, subject to funding. The budget has been refined, and upon confirmation of funding, the production company and the working group will refine the number of acts, the subject matter of each act, and content detail. The video will be produced in Quick time high-resolution digital format in both small files for easy viewing (Youtube tec.) and in large files (for theater and HD TV format). The video rights will be held by Chehalis on behalf of the partners and copies will be provided to them for distribution and sharing. The participants have agreed that the content and nature of the video is to re-enact the incident as if those involved had the benefit of hindsight and wanted to find a way to “get along”. The working group will participate in the acting themselves, and work together in distribution. Boats, fishing gear and the actors will be provided in kind by the participants to the working group. The production location will be on a gravel bar on the Fraser River area where the incident occurred. Planning meetings will occur in May, shooting of action will occur sometime in June. A joint public release of the River Manners video and the RCMP Crime Stoppers video is planned sometime in summer (hopefully in the fishing season), and will involve all of the partners. BENEFITS This project will help bring together two fishing cultures with a common interest in the well-being of the salmon as a priority. Once constructive patterns of behavior are forged, the same groups may advance to share access to diminishing fish resources and lead common efforts in stewardship.
The First Nations and NGO partners will work together on river etiquette and the production of the video. Governments will benefit from reduced conflict. Communities will enjoy a healthier fishery.
This project may lead to common stewardship and recovery efforts on local salmon stocks including Cultus Lake Sockeye.
The project will strengthen the working relationships around the Fraser River Fishery. The project will engage the Chehalis Band and other First Nations in the area directly with sport fishing groups. Joint decisions on this project will contribute to their efforts to work together on more complex challenges in the fishery.
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