Indigenous Fisheries Futures in British Columbia

Contemporary social and political developments have lifted some restrictions historically placed on Indigenous fisheries in the province now known as British Columbia (BC), allowing greater participation in the fisheries economy. However, these fisheries also face numerous challenges brought on by marginalization through colonization and the contemporary ecological shifts caused
by climate change. This research will undertake semi-structured interviews with experts and specialists in this matter, representatives of Indigenous Nations chosen by the First Nations Fisheries Council, to understand the specific challenges and future desires of specific Indigenous fisheries in BC. This information will be collated and reviewed, then shared back to project participants to ensure accuracy of representation. We will synthesize community values and demands, then compare these themes to international case studies to examine how similar challenges have been addressed elsewhere. We will provide a literature review which contextualizes the specific history of Indigenous fisheries in BC. Finally, we will provide recommendations in the form of policy and/or management models which will address the topics brought forth by project participants and enhance economic and social benefits from fisheries to participating communities. Conversations and research of this nature can provide a social benefit of re-sharing and solidifying community values and desires.

Faculty Supervisor:

Andrés Cisneros-Montemayor

Student:

Partner:

First Nations Fisheries Council of British Columbia

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Agriculture

University:

Simon Fraser University

Program: