Your Urgent Support Is Needed Now

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) recently sent a letter to the Dungeness crab industry of their intent to reallocate 50% of the inside commercial fishery in Area E (Tofino) plus 25% of the outside fishery to the five Nuu-cha-nulth Nations on April.1st.

The letter was received on December 2nd, 2021, just a few short months before the reallocation would come into effect. It came without any prior consultative process or valid immediate mitigation or compensation plan for affected harvesters.

DFO’s decision will ruin the livelihoods of the 33 family-run fishing businesses, compromising up to 80 jobs in the Tofino community. Despite the federal government’s commitment for all Canadians to pay for the costs of reconciliation and the settlement of Indigenous claims, DFO’s action has shifted the cost of the Nuu-cha-nulth’s court case settlement onto the backs of small family-owned fishing businesses.

It is incredibly important to note that crab harvesters fully support and honour the ongoing efforts in respect to reconciliation and Indigenous rights & title. The industry’s frustration and concern lie squarely on DFO and the federal governments' lack of proper planning, engagement, consultation, and compensation in respect to the major proposed re-allocation and the associated dire economic consequences.

This is not a stand-alone issue. It's currently happening on the East Coast with the Elver Eel fishery and the same themes of a lack of proper consultation and meaningful industry involvement are prevalent in the Northern Shelf bio-region MPA process. This cannot be the continued path forward.

Please join us in calling on the federal and provincial government to immediately compensate the 33 family-run fishing businesses and commit to a comprehensive reconciliation strategy as it pertains to the entire Canadian commercial fishing industry.

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Dear [recipient position will go here] [recipient name will go here],

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As Canada engages in the process of reconciliation with Indigenous nations to correct the historical wrongs of the past, commercial fisheries are at the forefront of defining Indigenous rights and title. Commercial fish harvesters fully support reconciliation with Indigenous nations and their rights to increased access to fisheries resources. Fish harvesters support Canada’s commitment for all Canadians to share in the costs of settling Indigenous claims.

Unfortunately, Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) actions in British Columbia are shifting the costs onto the backs of small family-owned fishing businesses stemming from a recent court case settlement. Without any prior consultative process, DFO sent a letter to the Dungeness crab industry of their intent to reallocate 50% of the inside commercial fishery in Area E (Tofino) plus 25% of the outside fishery to the five Nuu-cha-nulth Nations.

The letter was received on December 2, 2021, just a few short months before the reallocation would come into effect. It came without any valid immediate mitigation and compensation plan for affected harvesters. DFO’s decision will ruin the livelihoods of the 33 family-run fishing businesses, compromising up to 80 jobs in the Tofino community.

Fish harvesters understand and respect that the federal government must engage with Indigenous nations on a bilateral basis. Harvesters are asking that in this process, they are given a clear and fair process to engage in the important decisions being made with their livelihoods. Their jobs, livelihoods, and identity are at stake and right now, the Federal government is creating unnecessary economic and social instability, fear and division among fishing communities.

The Fisheries Minister’s mandate letter from the Prime Minister of Canada, dated December 16, 2021, requires her to advance reconciliation and to advance consistent, sustainable and collaborative fisheries arrangements with Indigenous and non-Indigenous fish harvesters.  Both these directives require that arrangements to satisfy the fishing rights declared in the Ahousaht case and all other cases not be done in derogation of DFO’s mitigation policy. The Minister must satisfy these rights to increased fisheries access at the expense of all Canadians, not solely at the expense of the existing licence-holders and their crews.

DFO’s actions in expropriating 50% of the trap allocation in Area E without compensation runs contrary to these directives. The best practices and principles for conflict resolution (collaboration, consensus building, transparency, inclusivity accountability) are not being followed. For durable long-term solutions to be reached for Indigenous and non-Indigenous fish harvesters, the current federal strategy must stop ignoring these principles.

This is not a stand-alone issue. It's currently happening on the East Coast with the Elver Eel fishery and the same themes of a lack of proper consultation and meaningful industry involvement are prevalent in the Northern Shelf bio-region MPA process.

We are calling on the Canadian and provincial governments to take the following actions:

Recognize that the cost of reconciliation and the settling of treaties with Indigenous Nations in Canada will be paid for by all Canadians and will not be disproportionately borne by any subset of citizens, such as individual fishermen or family enterprises or a specific set of workers.

Commit to a comprehensive reconciliation strategy that fully engages the commercial fishing industry, provides for appropriate compensation and addresses outstanding issues.

Immediately compensate the 33 family fishing businesses in Area E Tofino whose livelihoods will be made unprofitable at the start of the April 1, 2022 season due to re-distribution of allocation to the Five Nations rights-based fishery.

For more information please contact: info@weheartbccrab.ca

Sincerely,
[your name will go here]
[your email address will go here] [your location will go here]

If you are a commercial fish harvester or work in the commercial fishing industry, please consider adding information on how DFO’s failing approach on this issue is affecting you personally.

If you are a harvester from Area E there is an option available below for you to upload a photo of yourself, your family and/or your crew.

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