Resources

FNFC Stemming the Tide

This Direction Paper by the First Nations Fisheries Council of BC (FNFC) identifies recommendations and concrete actions to implement UNDRIP, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (UNDA), and the UNDA Action Plan in the context of fish, fisheries, and aquatic habitat priorities in BC. It builds from the Turning the Tide Discussion Paper, and identifies specific recommendations organized under six pillars of change. Collectively, these recommendations advance concrete actions to change federal law, policy, and practice and efforts to advance First Nations rights and objectives to protecting wild fish and their habitats and upholding First Nations self-determination and authority.

First Nations Open-Net Pen Transition Plan Blueprint Recommendations

The First Nations Fisheries Council of BC’s (FNFC) First Nations Open-Net Pen Transition Plan Blueprint Recommendations summarizes broad advice from First Nations across BC and distills into key elements and themes that the transition plan blueprint for open-net pen fish farms should include. Through the engagements, First Nations identified key themes that the process should uphold including: a whole of salmon lifecycle approach; a whole of aquaculture approach; respect for First Nations self-governance and self-determination; and protection of First Nations investments. The report also recommends a set of guiding principles to be adopted as part of the transition plan, together with a series of technical considerations to inform the development of the transition plan.

Summer 2023 Communique

December 2023 Communique

March 2024 Communique

August 2024 Communique

PSC Report Socio-Cultural Value of Salmon to FN

Pacific salmon are a cultural and ecological keystone species, irreplaceable and core to the identities and ways of life of Indigenous communities throughout the Pacific Northwest. This report shares insights on the sociocultural significance of Pacific salmon, learned from engagement with the Tribal and First Nations Caucuses to the Pacific Salmon Commission.

Turning the Tides

This Direction Paper by the First Nations Fisheries Council of BC (FNFC) identifies concrete actions to implement UNDRIP and the Declaration Act in the context of fish, fisheries, and aquatic habitat priorities in BC. It identifies specific changes in provincial law, policy, and practice through a series of recommendations aimed at protecting wild fish and their habitats and upholding First Nations self-determination and authority.

Summary Report Aquatic Species at Risk in The Pacific Region Virtual Workshop Series [2021]

In 2020, the First Nations Fisheries Council of British Columbia (FNFC), in collaboration with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) collaborated to develop opportunities to share information and foster dialogue on ways to improve Indigenous engagement in aquatic species at risk (SAR) processes in the Pacific Region.

Summary Report Aquatic Species at Risk in The Pacific Region Virtual Workshop Series [2021]

The purpose of this discussion paper is to provide analysis for First Nations, and recommendations to DFO and First Nations, on the shortcomings of current approaches to socio-economic analysis (SEA) in the Species At Risk Act (SARA) process for aquatic species, and how SEA in SARA may be adapted to protect, reconcile, and advance First Nations interests.

Indigenous Knowledge Engagement and Aquatic Species at Risk in The Pacific Region a Discussion Paper [2021]

The First Nation Fisheries Council would like to thank all the participants and interviewees of the various FNFC initiatives that informed this discussion paper. We want to acknowledge the time you made available from your already hectic schedules to contribute. Without your passion, knowledge, and recommendations, the success of the workshops and associated materials would not have been possible.

Indigenous Knowledge Forum Report. [2019]

We especially thank the Indigenous Knowledge Keepers for sharing with us their projects built upon many centuries of knowledge, values, and traditional laws of their communities and Nations. Their generous contributions support our collective effort to advance Indigenous Knowledge as an invaluable and integral component of decision-making regarding fisheries policy and management at all levels.

Summary Report Species at Risk Act and Aquatic Species Workshop. [2013]

In 2011, the First Nations Fisheries Council (FNFC) began organizing Tier 1 (First Nations only) teleconferences for participating BC First Nations to speak with each other in order to share information and perspectives regarding a potential eulachon listing.

Wild Salmon Policy Annual Report [2019-2020]

On October 11, 2018, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and the Coast Guard, released the Wild Salmon Policy 2018-2022 Implementation Plan (the Plan).

Wild Salmon Policy Annual Report [2018-2019]

On October 11, 2018, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and the Coast Guard, released the Wild Salmon Policy 2018-2022 Implementation Plan (the Plan).

Wild Salmon Policy

This policy represents the culmination of five years of consultations with Canadians concerned about the protection of Pacific salmon. It will usher in a significant new approach to the conservation of one of Canada’s most valuable and cherished resources – wild Pacific salmon.

Wild Salmon Policy Implementation Plan

As Canada’s Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, it is my pleasure to present the Wild Salmon Policy 2018–2022 Implementation Plan.

Wild Salmon Policy Implementation Plan Activity 48 Recommendations

DFO has proposed to the SCC‐WSP Small Working Group that Activity 48 of the Wild Salmon Policy Implementation Plan (WSPIP) be completed via an addendum.

Summary Reports

Over the last two years, we have coordinated a Salmon Allocation Policy Working Group (SAP WG) to collaborate and work with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), to provide our views to the Government of Canada on the Salmon Allocation Policy Engagement Process and drafting of the Terms of Reference (TOR) (i.e. Phase 1).

CSAF Evaluation Framework [Jan 18, 2017]

These guidelines are to be used to evaluate proposals for increased flexibility to harvest commercial salmon shares consistent with approved updates associated with the Commercial Salmon Allocation Framework (CSAF).

Proposal Template [Nov 2018]

Concept being proposed (e.g. alternative sharing arrangements, changes to existing fishery management decision rules or harvest guidelines; alternative time, area and gear being proposed)

33rd PSC Annual Report [2017-2018]

In compliance with Article II, Paragraph 14 of the Treaty between the Government of Canada and the Government of the United States of America concerning Pacific salmon (the Treaty), it is my pleasure as Executive Secretary of the Pacific Salmon Commission to present my compliments to the Parties and to transmit the Thirty-Third Annual Report of the Commission.

34th PSC Annual Report [2018-2019]

In compliance with Article II, Paragraph 14 of the Treaty between the Government of Canada and the Government of the United States of America concerning Pacific salmon (the Treaty), it is my pleasurenas Executive Secretary of the Pacific Salmon Commission to present my compliments to the Parties and to transmit the Thirty-Fourth Annual Report of the Commission.

35th PSC Annual Report [2019-2020]

In compliance with Article II, Paragraph 14 of the Treaty between the Government of Canada and the Government of the United States of America concerning Pacific salmon (the Treaty), it is my pleasure as Executive Secretary of the Pacific Salmon Commission to present my compliments to the Parties and to transmit the Thirty-Fifth Annual Report of the Commission.

Pacific Salmon Treaty

Treaty Between the Government of Canada and the Government of the United States of America Concerning Pacific Salmon

The Sociocultural Significance of Pacific Salmon for Tribes and First Nations

Earth Economics is a non-profit organization based in Tacoma, WA, with a mission to value the benefits nature provides. Earth Economics identifies and accounts for the indirect and direct benefits nature provides to ensure they are included in the decision-making process at all levels so communities can mitigate risk, increase resilience, and protect their natural capital wealth.

First Nations Caucus Engagement Toolkit

In the leadup to negotiations on the renewal of the Pacific Salmon Treaty, the Pacific Salmon Commission’s First Nations Caucus (FN Caucus) is taking the initiative to engage with First Nations in BC directly to best understand the priorities and interests of First Nations as they relate to the Pacific Salmon Treaty. The input provided via this feedback form and through our other engagement activities will be consolidated, reviewed, and summarized to inform FN Caucus participation and activities. These topics will also be shared with First Nations to communicate collective interests. In turn and when opportunities arise, these topics will then be advanced to DFO, the Federal Government, and the PSC.

ITAN Project Description

First Nations organizations are often asked to engage in or respond to a high volume of fisheries meetings and related processes; therefore capacity, time, and resourcing are some factors that can limit effective and meaningful participation.

Indigenous Knowledge Forum Report. [2019]

Hundreds of generations of First Nations people living in what is now British Columbia have regarded aquatic animals and ecosystems as integral to their identities, cultures, languages, communities, economies and knowledge systems.

Joint Resolution of British Columbia First Nations. [2009]

First Nations in British Columbia have constitutionally protected title and rights that have been affirmed by the Supreme Court of Canada and by international conventions and treaties, including UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples;

BC First Nations Statement of Solidarity and Cooperation on Aquaculture. [2009]

Status and Evolution of BC’s Aquaculture Debates. [2018]

Industrial salmon aquaculture came to British Columbia in the 1970s. Though the first attempt to farm salmon in B.C. was by Crown Zellerbach in 1971, the company was unable to obtain a license.

First Nations and aquaculture in British Columbia - cultivating change to preserve tradition brochure. [2016]

For thousands of years, First Nations people have gathered food from the sea and shore, the rivers and lakes — and they have also made changes to increase food productivity.

South Coast BC Engagement Guide

Lessons learned from the Cumulative Effects of Marine Shipping initiative in south coast B.C.

Reflections and Recommendations from the Oceans Protection Plan

Reflections & Recommendations from First Nations involvement in the Oceans Protection Plan

First Nations in BC and Marine and Coastal Management

Supporting First Nations communities in advancing their interests related to marine protection and management links directly to the Action Plan’s third theme, Safeguarding Habitat and Responding to Threats, which calls for First Nations to work together

Oceans Protection Plan Commitment [2019]

Water For Fish Brochure [2019]

“Water is life. It is our sacred duty to protect it for today and for our future generations." Learn about the Water For Fish project and how it contributes to habitat and environmental protection.

Towards a BC Watershed Security Fund [2021]

This report was developed by the Sustainable Funding Working Group, a group of 16 experts and knowledge holders in Indigenous governance, local government, funding and financing, forestry and land-use practices, and watershed management, including the FNFC.

Direction Paper: Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act and Water Sustainability Act Reform

This FNFC Direction Paper sets out why water and the Water Sustainability Act should be a priority for legislative reform under the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.

Environmental Flow Needs: A Primer for BC First Nations [2020]

Environmental Flow Needs (EFNs) offer First Nations an important avenue to influence and make decisions about water licenses and water use in their territories. EFNs can also be an expression of Indigenous law and a condition for exercising Aboriginal and Treaty Rights to water and fish. This new resource from the FNFC’s Water for Fish initiative offers guidance on why and under what circumstances it may be valuable for First Nations to establish and implement EFNs for critical waters in their territories.

Towards a Water Sustainability Act First Nations Engagement Framework: Working Group Recommendations for Collaborative Development of Regulations and Policies [2019]

In 2018 the BC Ministry of Environment & Climate Change Strategy provided the FNFC with grant funding to advise BC on an Engagement Framework to guide the development of the remaining Water Sustainability Act (WSA) regulations and policies in accordance with BC’s reconciliation commitments. As part of this work, the FNFC organized a series of meetings of a Working Group comprised of First Nations leadership and staff that hold relevant expertise in water governance. The Working Group recommendations were finalized in this report.

Statement of Requirements for Water Governance in British Columbia According to Crown Commitments to Reconciliation [2018]

Drafted by the BC First Nations Water Governance Roundtable, this document provides direction on the transformative measures required by the BC Government to fulfill reconciliation commitments and support the implementation of First Nations freshwater jurisdiction.

Backgrounder: Fresh Water and Crown Reconciliation Commitments

The Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources (CIER) and FNFC developed a Backgrounder to offer clarity on key questions that arise around UNDRIP and fresh water in BC.

Protecting Water Our Way: First Nations Freshwater Governance in British Columbia [2018]

Featuring a selection of five case stories that pull out key elements of First Nations-led water planning and governance in BC, this report is aimed at increasing the capacity, knowledge and understanding of First Nations staff and leadership.

Making Waves 2021 Survey of First Nations-Led Freshwater Management and Governance in British Columbia

The report provides findings of the 2021 First Nations Freshwater Management and Governance Survey in British Columbia and includes a snapshot of First Nations water management and activities today and into the future, high-level trends, and HR and financial capacity needs in communities.

First Nations Fisheries and FSC Allocation Regional Workshops Summary Report [2019]

In 2019, the FNFC agreed to work collaboratively with DFO on “Working Together Towards a New Approach to Indigenous Fisheries” and to engage First Nations in dialogue related to their fisheries.

FNFC Letter to FOPO Re Fisheries Act Review Process [October 17, 2016]

I am writing to you on behalf of the First Nations Fisheries Council of BC (FNFC). The FNFC was established in 2008 as an organization that works with First Nations in British Columbia on issues related to fisheries and aquatic resource management.

FNFC Submission to FOPO Re Review of Fisheries Act Changes [November 29, 2016]

FNFC was established in 2008 as an organization that works with First Nations in British Columbia on issues related to fisheries and aquatic resource management.

FNFC Letter to Minister Leblanc Re Fisheries Act Changes [January 31, 2017]

The First Nations Fisheries Council of BC (FNFC) welcomed this government’s commitment to review the changes made in 2012 to the Fisheries Act and to restore lost protections and incorporate modern safeguards into the Act.

FNFC Coalition Brief to FOPO Re Bill C-68 [April 20, 2018]

This Coalition of First Nations organizations in British Columbia was formed in 2016 through coordination with the First Nations Fisheries Council of British Columbia (FNFC) to collaboratively participate in the Government of Canada’s current and ongoing review of the Fisheries Act, RSC 1985, c F-14 (the “Act”).

FNFC Letter to Minister Leblanc Re Coalition Response to Bill C-68 [May 29, 2018]

The First Nations Fisheries Council of British Columbia (“FNFC”) was established in 2007 as an organization that works with British Columbia First Nations to support, protect, reconcile, and advance First Nations Title and Rights as they relate to fisheries and the health, management and protection of aquatic resources.