Chilliwack Progress
Chehalis chief shot with pellet gun after gear gets tangled
The Fraser River at Island 22.
JENNA HAUCK/ PROGRESS FILE
Text By Jennifer Feinberg - Chilliwack Progress
Published: August 17, 2009 1:00 PM
Updated: August 17, 2009 3:10 PM
1 Comment The Sto:lo Tribal Council is asking for the Fraser River to be completely shut down to recreational fishing after a violent incident against the chief of Chehalis First Nation erupted Sunday on the Fraser.
RCMP reported that a First Nations fishing boat was drift-netting on the Fraser near the mouth of the Harrison River when the net became entangled with a sport fishing boat, causing an an altercation.
"The males aboard the sport fishing boat were reported to have fired a shot from what is believed to be a BB gun or Air Gun, striking one male," said RCMP Const. Lea-Anne Dunlop.
One of the men was hit with a projectile, which caused a laceration to his face.
"Thankfully the injuries were minor in nature," said Dunlop.
Chehalis Chief Willie Charlie stated in a news release he was the one who was shot in the face with a pellet gun, while he was operating one of the many native boats drifting in the area.
"They threatened us and repeatedly rammed our boats as we fought to untangle our gear and defend ourselves with oars and poles," said Charlie. "Some among the sport fishermen had drawn guns and knives as we fought to protect ourselves.
"I was shot in the face by a pellet gun, gear was damaged and words were exchanged before the sport fishers finally disbursed."
Due to so few sockeye returning this year, aboriginal fisheries were restricted to using large-mesh drift nets that are only capable of selectively harvesting stronger runs of chinook salmon, he said.
"Sport fishers need to respect our limited weekend openings and get along with our fishers or get out of the river," added Charlie.
The chief emphasized the need for everyone "to respect the Constitutional priority of the food, social and ceremonial fishery" or closures would be sought.
"We were lucky this time," said Chief Charlie.
STC spokesman Ernie Crey agreed, and said part of the problem is that people do not know that drift fishing with nets is an authorized method of fishing by DFO.
"Leaders in the sport fishery are encouraging this kind of conflict by attacking both the DFO, thus encouraging disrespect for authority, and aboriginal fishing families," he said. "They claim that fishing with drifted gillnets is illegal in our fishery. This is incorrect as the DFO authorizes fishing by this method. And under court rulings, we have the freedom, within reason, to choose our preferred methods of taking our food fish."
The conflict is likely "to spread like wildfire" all along the Lower Fraser, he said.
"I have been warning the DFO that some anglers are mixing booze, guns and bad tempers," Crey continued. "I told the DFO that there is imminent danger of violent confrontations between our food-fishing families and sport fishermen who don’t believe they should share the Fraser with aboriginal people."
The tribal council is now demanding that DFO extend the partial river closure over the entire Lower Fraser.
"The Fraser River’s aboriginal people are now engaged in a desperate struggle to catch and preserve salmon to avoid hardship this coming winter," Crey said. "The DFO should not make matters worse for them by exposing them to violent and abusive anglers plying the river."
Police are now asking any witnesses of the Sunday afternoon incident on the river to come forward and call police at 604-792-4611 or CrimeStoppers.
"Extensive patrols were made for the boat, and its occupant, of launching areas, and on the river with the use of the RCMP river boat, however the suspects could not be found," said Dunlop.
The suspect's boat was described as a 19-foot cream-coloured fiberglass boat with an outboard motor. The two male occupants of the boat were described as follows a Caucasian man in his 60s with grey hair and a moustache, and a Caucasian man between 35 and 45, with scruffy brown hair and facial hair. Both men spoke in heavy accents, described as possibly English or Scottish.
jfeinberg@theprogress.comCOMMENTS
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mrichview 3 hours ago
"The Sto:lo Tribal Council is asking for the Fraser River to be completely shut down to recreational fishing after a violent incident against the chief of Chehalis First Nation erupted Sunday on the Fraser."
Surprising that the Sto:lo want
Author
Topic: Violent Confrontation on Fraser (Read 23815 times)