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Competition among groups harvesting steadily declining salmon stocks on the lower Fraser River has become so fierce that one category of fisherman is seeking regulatory approval to kill an archrival.
Sto:lo First Nation fishermen, whose traditional salmon fishing grounds stretch roughly from the Port Mann Bridge to Yale in the Fraser Canyon, are fighting an escalating battle for salmon with their most wily competitor -- the harbour seal.
"The seals are very clever and watch us set up on the river then rush in and take the salmon right out of our nets," says Sto:lo fisherman Ken Malloway. "I've actually had a seal rip a fish right out of my hands."
The problem of seals snatching salmon and often destroying costly nets has reached a point where native fishermen increasingly are forced to shoot so-called nuisance seals. And word on the river is that other fishing groups shoot seals periodically as well.
However, shooting seals in B.C. is illegal without a permit issued by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. DFO issues these permits regularly to fish-farm operators.
"We want to be able to protect wild salmon stocks in the same way, so we should be able to get these permits as well," says Malloway.
Adds Ernie Crey, the Sto:lo Tribal Council's fisheries adviser: "Some of our fishermen lose their entire catch to seals. It's like the seals are eating the food right off our tables, and declining fish stocks only make this problem worse."
But even though DFO sets the rules regarding seals and salmon, it doesn't appear to be strictly enforcing them.
That's why Crey and the Sto:lo Tribal Council are calling for a firm, up-front DFO policy on how natives should deal -- legally -- with fish-feasting seals.
"I don't like the idea that our fishermen need to glance over their shoulders each time they must kill a seal," Crey said. "A DFO policy on seal kills, designed in consultation with the aboriginal community, would guide both DFO fisheries officers and the aboriginal community."
DFO spokeswoman Diane Lake says the Sto:lo can certainly apply for a "nuisance-seal licence" and their application would be reviewed like any request from the fish-farm sector.
Her department has also been running an experiment on the Fraser this summer that utilizes an "electronic-deterrence" device to keep seals away from fishing grounds. "It seems to be somewhat effective but the trial is continuing," she adds. "But remember, seals are part of our ecosystem, too."
Crey acknowledges the practice of killing nuisance seals will upset environmentalists and animal-rights groups. Spokesmen for the David Suzuki Foundation and Vancouver-based Lifeforce Foundation could not be reached for comment yesterday.
"But we're not talking about a cull here, only about nuisance seals that take our fish and won't go away," Crey says. "Noise doesn't deter them either, because they're very smart animals and learn very quickly."
Safety is another concern. Crey says that during a recent Sto:lo Tribal Council meeting on the seal issue, which was attended by the RCMP, it was agreed that using shotguns rather than rifles is preferred when seals must be shot. A rifle bullet can skip off the water and pose serious risk to anyone on the nearby shore, he said.
And the seal problem will likely worsen.
While salmon stocks continue their decline, the seal population on the lower Fraser, which in the last count in 2000 was roughly 1,600, is expanding at about 12 per cent annually, according to the University of B.C. Fisheries Centre. blewis@theprovince.com
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