Pacific Wild’s Top Ten Arguments Against the Strait of Georgia Herring Fishery

March 11, 2019

Did you know, 4 out of 5 Pacific herring fisheries in British Columbia have collapsed due to population concerns? The Strait of Georgia holds the last remaining commercial fishing grounds. Here are our top 10 arguments against the Strait of Georgia herring fishery.

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Photo by @iantmcallister // In case you missed it! Back in December of 2020, Fisheries and Oceans Canada Minister, Bernadette Jordan announced that all fish farms from the Discovery Islands had to be out by June 2022, giving aquaculture companies 18 months to transition. During this period, no new fish of any size were to be introduced. But last week, a federal court judge suspended a ban on restocking three fish farms in British Columbia's Discovery Islands for Mowi Canada West — a salmon farming company.⁣
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Five First Nations including Homalco, Tla’amin, We Wai Kai, Wei Wai Kum and Kwiakah, whose traditional territory include the Discovery Islands were included in consultations with DFO last year. It was this consultation process that led to the December decision to phase out farms. But these Nations were excluded by the court to be interveners on this new development. ⁣
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According to Homalco Chief Darren Blaney, "Mowi's decision to go to court and challenge the minister's decision — which was based on consultations with First Nations like his — is a slap in the face, he said, noting it goes against the companies' claims to want to live up to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)."⁣
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It's time to #GetFishFarmsOut of B.C. Read the full story at the link in our bio.⁣
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#SalmonCount

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Join us on March 21st at 3pm for our 2nd virtual Wolf Trivia Challenge!⁣
Hosted by Pacific Wild, the educational and community driven trivia game will feature Jim & Jamie Dutcher, and Garrick Dutcher of Living with Wolves, a non-profit organization based in Idaho with a mission to educate people worldwide to promote truth and understanding about wolves. Cheryl Alexander of the Takaya Legacy Project will be joining us again for this second round of trivia!⁣
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The game will be interspersed with pop questions for prizes, wolf related videos, and a few words from a special guest. Players attend from all over the world, and there are a maximum of 100 seats in the game.⁣
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Register at the link in our bio.

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Photo by @iantmcallister // Last July, we announced our legal case challenging the B.C. government’s ineffectual wolf culling program. Our stance argues that the cull is breaking federal aviation security regulations as well as other regulations outlined in the Wildlife Act. ⁣
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The courts have been operating at a very limited capacity due to COVID-19, and at this time we are still waiting for a hearing date to be set. The silver lining to waiting for our arguments to be heard: NO aerial gunning has taken place this year to date, saving the lives of hundreds of wolves.⁣
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Securing our legal counsel in this matter would not have been possible without the support of your generous donations. Thank you for helping us #SaveBCWolves this winter.

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Photo by Cheryl Alexander // Today (March 24, 2021) the world is howling in honour of the memory of Victoria’s iconic coastal wolf, Takaya. One year ago, on Tuesday, March 24, 2020, near Shawnigan Lake on Vancouver Island, Takaya was killed by a trophy hunter approximately 50 kilometres away from where he was released in late January.⁣
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Cheryl Alexander, a conservation photographer says, “Howling is a great way to let out the anguish and love that we are all feeling. It is also a way to ‘gather’ in honour of Takaya while we all must stay apart. You can howl alone or together with those you are isolating with – you can howl indoors or go out into the street or onto your balcony, howling to the stars or sun. You can howl once … or many times. Try it. You will see how great howling can feel.”⁣
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Organizers invite you to participate by howling at sunset, wherever you are in the world, to honour the life and legacy of this remarkable wolf! If you’d like to share a video, please post it on social media and use the hashtag #howlfortakaya⁣
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@takayalonewolf

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Only 12% of caught Pacific herring is processed for human consumption. In the herring roe fishery, eggs are removed from the female fish and are exported to Japan as a delicacy. The popularity of herring roe is declining, resulting in decreased demand and economic value. Domestically, herring is used for human consumption in pickled herring and fish oil supplements. ⁣
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The remaining 88% of herring caught is used for non-human consumption in the bait fishery and reduction fishery. In 2019, the reduction fishery saw more than 18,000 tonnes of herring reduced to fishmeal and fish oil which predominantly goes to feed farmed salmon in Canada and around the world. ⁣
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While the value of local herring has decreased, it continues to be exported. As the economic value of herring decreases and local herring continues to be exported overseas, the cultural, social, and ecological systems that rely on herring as a foundation species are struggling. The impact that mismanagement of the commercial herring fishery is having on Southern Resident Killer Whales, salmon and Indigenous fishing rights is concerning. ⁣
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DFO continues to allow herring to be fed to farmed salmon when our wild salmon stocks rely heavily on herring and are also diminishing. Protecting herring in order to protect our wild salmon, our orcas and our humpback whales should be the priority, rather than harvesting herring to be processed and exported.⁣
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#BIGLittleFish

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Over the past few weeks, we have shared the importance of Pacific herring for the British Columbia ecosystem, economy, and people. Back in January, when we replied to DFO with our recommendations for the 2020/2021 Integrated Fisheries Management Plan (IFMP), we highlighted three key suggestions: ⁣
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1) Reduce the current 20% harvest rate and have it adjust with biomass levels. ⁣
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2) Continue to move towards ecosystem-based management that takes the entire ecosystem into consideration.⁣
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3) Invest in research to identify migratory and resident herring populations to better understand their life history. ⁣
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With low herring biomass in B.C. waters and collapses of 4 previously abundant fishing grounds, it is not hard to see why these changes need to protect Pacific herring. ⁣
In the Strait of Georgia, the fishery caught 2,995 tonnes via seine net and 8,282 tonnes via gillnet (6,000 tonnes less than the predicted total allowable catch). ⁣
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We are not asking for an end to all herring fisheries indefinitely, rather, the call is for a deferral that not only gives herring populations a chance to recover, but also time for increased research and reassessment of the fishery. ⁣
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Write to your local representatives and Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan, telling them that you support an immediate moratorium for further research and a move towards an ecosystem-based management system. Send your letter today at the link in our bio. ⁣
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#biglittlefish #herring #fisheries #marineconservation #bcpoli #cdnpoli #pacificwild #fisheriesmanagement #oceanprotection #foragefish #bcwildlife ⁣
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Photos by @kwexphoto

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