Under the Aboriginal Fisheries Strategy Agreement with the Department of Fisheries & Ocean (DFO), the Lillooet Tribal Council’s Fisheries Program is designated to facilitate communications on the salmon fisheries resources between the Northern St’at’imc Communities and DFO.
The LTC Fisheries Program updates communication to the Community Leadership regarding Fisheries Issues and Facilitates communication with the Seven-St’at’imc Communities, other First Nation Communities and DFO. Additionally, in-season opening, and closure information is provided to St’at’imc Communities within the traditional fishing grounds between Texas Creek and Kelly Creek.
The Fisheries Manager, Rebecca Riley, is responsible for the day-to-day management and development of the program, coordination of fishing activities under the direction and receives guidance from the Lillooet Tribal Council’s Leadership.
Goals
- Increase Community Capacity for Management
- Preservation of Fisheries Resources
Services
- St’at’imc Community Fisheries Forum Facilitation
- Informational Pre/Post-Season St’at’imc forum of Salmon for community awareness.
- Coho in the Classroom
- Joint project with DFO and Nlaka’pamux Nation Tribal Council (NNTC) as a technician to enrich knowledge for students in the Lillooet and Lytton area.
- To understand, respect and protect freshwater, estuarine, and marine ecosystems and recognize how humans are linked to these complex environments through the awareness of the Habitat and Enhancement of the Coho Salmon.
- Maintain salmon fish tanks, conduction of dissections in a classroom setting, promote understanding of the importance of Salmon for all levels of education: Circle of Life for Salmon, and in attendance and displaying project at workshops and providing articles for information distribution.
- Ghost Net Removal with NNTC
- Facilitate and inform communities about ghost net removal information, participation in Ghost Net Education and physical removal of Ghost Nets from the Fraser River after the fishing season has ended in the fall-time.
- Walking with the Smolts Program
- Includes surrounding schools and community members to participate in this event to help promote conservation and harvest management planning within the St’at’imc Nation.
- Partnership with other contributors: NNTC, DFO, Sekw’el’was (Cayoose Creek), Splitrock Environmental, Antares, The Hub and other businesses that take to participate in the event.
- Data Manager Communications/Assistant for Data Entry at the Lillooet DFO office.
- Sits in Fisheries Meeting Committees: St’at’imc Fisheries Technical Advisory Committee, Pacific Salmon Commission/Fraser River Panel, St’at’imc Chiefs and Council Leadership meetings and NNTC Open Fisheries Forum.