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First court date for Fraser River anglers ticketed during demonstration fishery

Convoy of trucks circled the courthouse in downtown Chilliwack Tuesday honking their support
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A convoy of seven pickup trucks, six of which were hauling boats, makes its way around the Chilliwack Law Courts on Dec. 1, 2020. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)

A convoy of trucks circled the courthouse Tuesday in support of anglers with a court appearance in Chilliwack for participating in a “demonstration fishery” on the Fraser River back in September.

Pickup trucks hauling jet boats sported signs like: “Public Fisheries Matter” and “Bar Fishing is Selective Fishery.”

The “demonstration fishery” held on Sept. 9, 2020 was an act of civil disobedience by members of the Fraser Valley Salmon Society (FVSS) and Fraser River Sportfishing Alliance (FVSA). They said their rights, and the rights of their grandchildren, to a “public fishery” were threatened by the lack of fishing opportunities, even when stocks are sustainable.

The demonstration saw more than 70 anglers participate. Organizers said at the time that the idea was to bar-fish selectively in order to demonstrate they could avoid impacting any migrating stocks of concern.

They were warned by fishery officers as they headed out that it was an unauthorized demonstration for which they could be fined or have rods confiscated.

“Those tickets were a catalyst to continuing our efforts to secure allocation and the opportunity to fish with a public fishery,” said Dean Werk, president of the Fraser Valley Salmon Society.

The legal route was seen as the only viable option remaining as all negotiations with DFO had proven futile, they said.

Those charged had their first court appearance on Dec. 1 and matters were put off until a later date.

A GoFundMe page to pay the legal fees was launched by the Fraser Valley Salmon Society (FVSS) to support the Fraser River Sportfishing Alliance (FVSA), raising $26,800 as of Nov. 20.

In terms of context, fisheries officials were acting on record-low returns in 2019 when the government’s 2020 Fraser River Chinook salmon management measures were released in June 2020, expanding on sweeping salmon fishing closures and restrictions imposed last year.

DFO said the severe restrictions were necessary to protect 12 of 13 wild Fraser River chinook runs assessed to be at-risk by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. There were no licensed commercial, recreational, or First Nations FSC (food, social and ceremonial fisheries) for Fraser sockeye either this year.

—with files from Quinn Bender

READ MORE: Anglers ticketed, crowdfunding to pay legal fees

READ MORE: Anger growing among anglers shut out of public fishery

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23500464_web1_201201-CPL-Anglers-Rally-Courthouse_3
A convoy of seven pickup trucks, six of which were hauling boats, makes its way around the Chilliwack Law Courts on Dec. 1, 2020. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)
23500464_web1_201201-CPL-Anglers-Rally-Courthouse_4
A convoy of seven pickup trucks, six of which were hauling boats, makes its way around the Chilliwack Law Courts on Dec. 1, 2020. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)


Jennifer Feinberg

About the Author: Jennifer Feinberg

I have been a Chilliwack Progress reporter for 20+ years, covering the arts, city hall, as well as Indigenous, and climate change stories.
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