174 IHJ: INDIAN I ISIK RV 



The t'ur trade, with its assiKJatetl forts and trailing 

 pDsls, changed the complexion o( the Indian tisher>. In 

 addition to furs. Indians were encouraged to barter fcxxl- 

 stufl's. including tish. for manuractured gixKls. Drietl 

 salmon rapidiv became a staple ttK)d among fur traders 

 because of its light weight, preservation qualities and rich 

 food value. 



prises non-Fndians. As one group put it in testimony to 

 this Commission — 



. . . fish are more than f(H)d, (ish are an inte- 

 gral part of life itself. Without fish we have no 

 culture and with no culture we are not a peo- 

 ple. To us, the marine resources of B.C. are 

 part of our struggle to survive and to grow.'' 



Trends in Indian Fishing 



The native Indian population in British Columbia and 

 their harvests of fish, mainly salmon, have undergone 

 long cycles of growth, decline and revived growth since 

 the early 19th century. According to Hudson's Bay Com- 

 pany records, the Indian population in 1835 was esti- 

 mated to be 70 thousand. But since initial European con- 

 tact decades earlier, they had suffered from the introduc- 

 tion of new diseases, firearms and alcohol, so the 

 precontact population of the region could have been as 

 high as 125 thousand.-^ 



The Indian jX)pulation in the province declined dra- 

 matically during the next 100 years reaching a low point 

 of about 23 thousand in 1929. Since then, their numbers 

 have gradually increased to some 57 thousand registered 

 in 194 bands by latest count. More than 21 thousand are 

 registered in 96 bands on the Fraser River and its tribu- 

 taries. On the next 2 largest salmon-producing rivers, the 

 Skeena and Nass, there are 4,000 Indians in 8 bands. 



The importance offish in the traditional Indian society 

 of this region can hardly be exaggerated. According to 

 some estimates, fish comprised three-quarters of the diet 

 of coastal Indians and a large but unknown portion of 

 the diet of interior Indians.'' One estimate suggests that 

 before colonial settlement 700 pounds of fish per capita 

 were consumed each year;^ this implies a very substantial 

 total catch. 



Today, many Indians still depend heavily on fish for 

 food, although their diets are now much more varied. 

 Some continue to fish with traditional equipment, the 

 technical and economic efficiency of which often com- 

 pares favourably with that of the modem industrial 

 fishery. Traditional methods of processing and preserving 

 fish through dry-curing, smoking and other means are 

 also practised and, with the recent renewed interest in 

 traditional culture, its use in feasts and ceremonies has 

 been increasing. The traditional Indian fishery is thus a 

 blend of a search for food, production for trade, a social 

 activity and a cultural expression. The distinction cus- 

 tomarily drawn by non-Indians between commercial and 

 recreational fishing is inappropriate in this context. 

 Indian fishing has elements of both, and more. 



The Indians' historical attachment to fish and the 

 importance of fish to their cultural identity often sur- 



Current Catches 



The available statistical data on both the amount of 

 fishing activity and on catches in the Indian fishery are 

 very weak. In 1978, the last year for which figures have 

 been compiled, about 3,500 individual permits and 50 

 band permits were issued. In addition, some permits were 

 issued to Indian commercial vesselowners to allow them 

 to catch specified quantities offish for coastal bands that 

 could not otherwise meet their requirements using tradi- 

 tional methods in the rivers. 



But there are many more people involved in the Indian 

 fishery than these numbers suggest. Individual permits 

 are issued to heads of families, but they allow other mem- 

 bers of the family to fish. And band permits enable band 

 councils to assign fishing rights to any member of their 

 bands. Recent estimates suggest that about 25 thousand 

 Indians in British Columbia benefit directly from the 

 food produced in the Indian fishery; this represents 

 almost half the number of status Indians in the province.' 



A variety of methods are used to collect data on the 

 catch. Local fishery officers, who are responsible for 

 reporting this information, have developed their own 

 methods for estimating catches in their administrative 

 areas. Sometimes the whole catch is counted. More often, 

 only a sample of the catch in a few nets is counted and 

 then extrapolated. In some cases estimates are based on 

 interviews after the season, and in others the local fishery 

 officer is provided with reports from the band council or 

 individual fishermen. As a result of these diverse meth- 

 ods, the accuracy of catch estimates is questionable in 

 many cases, and many believe that catches are underes- 

 timated. 



Salmon are overwhelmingly important, but a wide vari- 

 ety of other species are used in the Indian fishery as well. 

 Many bands attach a special value to eulachon (ooligan 

 or candlefish), which is used as a source of oil ("grease") 

 and protein, and for traditional medicinal and cultural 

 purposes. Some coastal bands take significant quantities 

 of herring and herring roe; some catch groundfish such as 

 halibut and cod; others use clams, oysters, abalone and 

 other shellfish extensively; and some interior Indians take 

 considerable catches of kokanee (land-locked salmon). 



The catch of salmon in the Indian fishery has appar- 

 ently been increasing significantly in recent years.* The 



