The Issue
Stewardship Responsibilities
The Canadian federal government Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), under the Ministry of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, has jurisdiction over the commercial salmon fisheries and tidal sport fisheries.
The British Columbia provincial government is responsible for the non-tidal sport fisheries for non-salmon species, including the Skeena steelhead. Currently, this responsiblity rests with the ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection (WLAP).
Governments alone can not be expected to ensure proper stewardship of the Skeena’s fishing resources. The Skeena represents one of the greatest remaining mixed stock systems in the world. As with any mixed stock system that is a shared resource, the NCSA believes stewardship responsibilites must be shared among governments, First Nations, commercial and sportfishing interests alike. Based upon this belief, the NCSA is undertaking a number of initiatives to promote and improve stewardship of the Skeena steelhead and fishing resources among the sportfishing sector.