Outcomes of Indigenous fishing methods for fish health and fisheries sustainability in a changing world

Many fish populations have declined across Canada, due to diverse pressures including overharvesting, pollution, habitat degradation, and more. Prior to colonization, Indigenous management systems supported large-scale fisheries alongside healthy fish populations. These systems are being revitalized by their communities, to meet the needs of both people and fish, and move towards more sustainable fisheries practices. On the Lower Fraser River, six First Nations, in partnership with Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance (LFFA) are doing just this. In this process of revitalization, we will be studying traditional Indigenous fishing technologies, and their implications for the health of Pacific salmon populations in the river and its tributaries. From this work we hope to advance the goals of LFFA and UBC’s Centre for Indigenous Fisheries to protect Fraser River salmon and promote First Nations’ rights to fish through scientific partnership.

Faculty Supervisor:

Andrea Reid

Student:

Partner:

Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Other services (except public administration)

University:

The University of British Columbia

Program: