Prized sockeye being dumped
By Quintin Winks, Alberni Valley Times July 13, 2009 12:01 PM
A cyclist discovered a dump of sockeye salmon near Shoemaker Bay last week.
Photograph by: Alberni Valley Times, Times Colonist The dumping of perfectly edible salmon is prevalent in the Alberni Valley, prompted by over harvesting of a strong sockeye migration.
In the most recent example, a cyclist in the Shoemaker Bay area on Wednesday discovered between 50 and 60 whole sockeye dumped in the bush. This year's strong run is irresistible temptation for some fishermen and women to keep fishing until they have more than they can eat, fit in their freezer or give away, which can lead to illegal dumping.
Meanwhile, the price in grocery stores for sockeye is $2.39 per 100 grams.
While it's impossible to say who's responsible, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans often traces such offences back to the First Nations fishery. While the immediate problem can be linked to fish not being handled and cleaned promptly, iced and properly stored, it's as likely as not a symptom of differing opinions.
The First Nations have fishing rights as part of their ancient reliance on salmon in the coastal waterways. Meeting those rights each year during the salmon run, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans allocates a certain amount of fish for the food, social and ceremonial needs of. But the opinion of some First Nations residents is that their rights include sales of fish and an economic livelihood, said Jim Robson, fishery officer supervisor for the West Coast.
"We've allocated a large amount of fish to meet their needs, some would say a very large amount of fish to the point where how can they possibly use that amount of fish, but they're a large community," Robson said.
The desire to make money on the fish sometimes leads to overfishing. The First Nations fishery can have very high catches and difficulty handling the number of fish they get, especially when the fishery is very, very good, like it is this year, Robson said. If it's difficult to distribute the fish some may go bad, which leads to dumping.
"The wasting of fish is huge, it's a big concern," Robson said.
The Fishery Act prohibits wasting of edible fish and it forbids the sale of food, social and ceremonial fish at any time. It does so to prevent over harvesting, Robson said, and carries a penalty of a mandatory court appearance with a fine to be determined by the judge.
Yet sales continue and so does over harvesting, placing the sale of fish front and centre in the DFO's crosshairs.
In the past such sales were authorized. More recently the fishery was managed through other means. But lately it's been increasingly difficult to get to an agreement with the First Nations and allocation has been a big issue, Robson said.
"They want more fish because obviously the economics of sales is huge for the Valley and we recognize that, but as well we need to control well-managed fisheries," Robson continued. "And when you get a sales component in a fishery it encourages larger harvests. It's a balancing act on maximum economics and controlling harvest."
There are about 1,200 First Nations fishermen and women in the Alberni Valley and a bulletin issued by the DFO itemizes how much everyone has harvested so far.
Despite the DFO's best efforts the number of fish being dumped is increasing and officials are asking the public to report it.
"We have to report it so that at least it's documented," Robson said. Having those figures enables the DFO to count all fish so a tally can be applied to the counting of the run. That way officials know how much is caught and how much is spawned and "we can keep track to make sure there's no excess of harvest."
But for those who find themselves in possession of fish that can neither be given away nor eaten, there is an alternative to dumping. The Bread of Life Centre has just cleaned out one of its freezers and is more than happy to accept fish to feed those in need, said Cindy Sjoholm, the centre's executive director.
"Receiving fish wouldn't be a problem at all," Sjoholm said.
Robson at the DFO also supported the idea.
"Fish in excess of needs or storage capacity donated to the Bread of Life or food banks is welcomed," he said.
The desire to prevent fish being dumped in the forests throughout the Alberni Valley is not only driven by fragile salmon stocks, but also by the impact such attractants have on other wildlife.
Bears are a primary source of concern as they feed on the remains of the salmon. That's not only dangerous for those enjoying the bush, but also for the bears. It leads to habituation and more importantly, when the waste is dumped roadside, to animal-vehicle collisions.
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