INDIGENOUS COMMERCIAL FISHERS TAKE THE LEAD!
It is hard to manage a resource properly when you don’t have enough data or information upon which to make informed decisions. This would seem to apply equally well to managing natural resources such as fish and wildlife populations as it would to managing a country’s finances or managing a pandemic for that matter. Data, and the knowledge you gain from it is critical.
SCIENCE BASED MANAGMENT IS THE KEY
In the fishery world, sound, scientifically defensible data collected through a variety of monitoring programs provides part of the foundation for managing a fishery. Another important part of the foundation is public involvement in decision-making. Effective management requires both. In Manitoba, there is great progress on both fronts.
IT COSTS MONEY TO COLLECT DATA
Monitoring a fishery, given the complexity of aquatic ecosystems, and especially on large water bodies, is an expensive proposition. Fishery managers operate on finite budgets, have only so many field technicians and biologists, and typically have more fisheries to monitor than they have resources to. In recent years, this challenge has been met by opportunity. Indigenous commercial fishers have intimate knowledge of the waterbodies that they harvest fish from. In some cases, decades of experience. They also possess some other important logistical attributes – they own big boats (not a trivial matter) and live close by the lakes that they fish. They also have a keen interest and stake in making sure their fishery is managed sustainably. Their livelihoods depend on it.
CHALLENGE MEETS OPPORTUNITY
For many years, indigenous communities have insisted that they need to have a much greater role in decision-making as it relates to fisheries and wildlife management. An important step towards this goal is participating in the collection of the data upon which decisions are made. The Wildlife and Fisheries Branch of Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development have recognized this as well.
WORKING TOGETHER GETS IT DONE
So has our federal government. What if … provincial fisheries biologists could mentor and train indigenous commercial fishers in how to conduct index netting on the lakes they fish, could supply the needed sampling equipment, and once these stock monitoring programs are up and running, hire the fishers to collect such data annually? Training, capacity building, employment, better fish data, trust in the data because they collected it. It is all in progress here in Manitoba.
UNIQUE COLLABORATION
In 2018 a collaboration was formed between the federal government (Indigenous Services Canada), our provincial Wildlife and Fisheries Branch and two First Nation communities (Skownan First Nation and Poplar River First Nation). With cash and in-kind support provided by the Indigenous Inland Commercial Fisheries Initiative (federal) and Wildlife and Fisheries Branch, a small pilot program called the Collaborative Stock Monitoring Program started.
BOOTS ON THE GROUND
Six fishers from the two communities were equipped, trained and employed. The data was solid. Moreover, it was greatly needed. From the initial two communities/local fisher associations, the program grew each year to now include 8 communities/fisher associations in 2020. A total of 29 indigenous fishers have participated in the program over the last 3 years. Because of the rapid growth and interest in the Collaborative Stock Monitoring Program, it has attracted new sources of federal funding and is now administered by University College of the North.
DATA COLLECTION MENTORING
Through the mentorship of provincial fisheries biologists, the community fishers set and lift nets, measure length and weight of fish, remove appropriate aging structures and record all of the data. Routine monitoring is now occurring on lakes such as Moose, Swan, Cedar, Winnipegosis and parts of the north basin of Lake Winnipeg. Fishers that have demonstrated competence in the index netting are capable of undertaking the index netting on their own, with limited supervision. For fishers that are interested, the stock monitoring program also provides Transport Canada-accredited training in Small Vessel Operating Proficiency (SVOP) and Marine Emergency Duties (MED A3), which provide certifications for the fishers.
EXPANDING THE TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
One of the consequences of more monitoring of the province’s fishery resources is that more aging structures of fish are taken. However, there is already an existing backlog of aging structure samples waiting to be analyzed. To reduce this bottleneck, as well as to provide additional training and eventual employment opportunities to indigenous commercial fishers, the University of Winnipeg’s Department of Biology, through funding provided by the Indigenous Inland Commercial Fisheries Initiative, is in the process of creating the Indigenous Fisheries Assessor Program. With funding already in place, training curricula is being developed and fishers recruited to the program. Laboratory equipment such as dissecting scopes are already provided to participating communities. In addition, the University of Winnipeg will also create an age validation lab that will also contain a physical and digital data warehouse.
DATA THAT DOESN’T END UP ON THE SHELF
What good is data if you aren’t prepared to use it? The Wildlife and Fisheries Branch has already been analyzing the Collaborative Stock Monitoring Program data, and, working collaboratively with the participating fisher associations, have created and implemented sets of commercial harvest rules for individual lakes. These harvest rules (in particular, for walleye) focus on metrics of sustainability such as catch-per-unit effort, spawning stock biomass, spawning female age diversity and total annual mortality. These metrics are used to control various aspects of commercial fishing such as net yardage allowed, minimum and maximum mesh size and lake quota.
With sufficient data, evaluations are occurring annually, and the fisheries adjusted accordingly. This allows fisheries to be managed more nimbly. There is no chance for the data to collect dust on a shelf somewhere.
PART OF A BIGGER PICTURE
The Collaborative Stock Monitoring Program fills several needs – from data collection, training and capacity building, to employment and local involvement in decision-making. The program is also contributing to attainment of the eco-certification of several of the province’s commercial fisheries. In 2014, Waterhen Lake for example, became the first and only inland commercial walleye fishery in the western hemisphere certified to the Marine Stewardship Council standards (subsequently Lake Erie joined this distinguished list in 2016). Waterhen still remains the only MSC-certified source of northern pike in the world! Part of the reason Waterhen’s fishery is certified is due to its strong data collection program involving local fishers and the involvement of fishers in setting management direction, both which is aided through the Collaborative Stock Monitoring Program. The future of Manitoba’s fisheries continues to get brighter because of this.
Update from the CSMP CoordinatorAs another great example of the commitment of our provincial government to advance the monitoring and management of Manitoba’s fisheries, the CSMP will be receiving a $150,000 cash contribution from the Wildlife and Fisheries Branch in 2021.
BELOW ARE A LIST OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THE COLLABORATIVE STOCK MONITORING PROGRAM
Skownan First Nation / Waterhen Lake Winter Fishers Association / Metis Settlement of Mallard
Poplar River First Nation / Negginan Fishers Association
Chemawawin Cree Nation / Napanee Bay Fishers Association
Mosakahiken Cree Nation (Moose Lake Cree Nation) / Moose Lake Fishers Association
Wuskwi Sipihk First Nation (Swan Lake First Nation) / Swan Lake Fishers Association
Sapotaweyak Cree Nation / Dawson Bay Fishers Association
Misipawistik Cree Nation (Grand Rapids Cree Nation)
Pine Creek First Nation / Duck Bay Fishers Association