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[Geff_t]

Were there any witness to the confrontation ? How do we know this is not a made up story . The so called confrontation is to sway the DFO in closing the river for all sports fishing . Until we hear the other side of the story , all the talk is a ploy to close the river .

  Exactly what I was thinking. With the police boat searching the river and the police cruisers checking all the boat launches they still where not able to locate the boat. Makes you wonder does it not.

[Rodney]

Let's reverse the situation and take a brief moment to consider what have been posted.

If a couple of sportfishermen cast their rigs into a net drifting by and proceed to reel in the tangled net to untangle the mess. While doing their best to untangle, members of First Nation fishers become angry with the sportfishermen's action and assault them before leaving quickly. Sportfishermen report to authority what supposedly happens, supposed offenders are not found. Maybe the sportfishermen are making up a story to fabricate how dangerous Native fishers can be.

Two user groups share a resource, either one is not going anywhere. Conflicts are resolved by understanding each party's concerns through dialogue, not by creating and escalating fear and anger among own group to further intense the situation.

So far, there does not seem to be much will to seek for resolution judging by the responses. Good luck.

[Frankey]

Why should the natives get to fish the sockeyes unabated? So they can sell them and what they don't sell dump in a ditch somewhere! Your missing the point the resource is for eveyone to share, not one particular group excluding all others!

[Rodney]

Why should the natives get to fish the sockeyes unabated? So they can sell them and what they don't sell dump in a ditch somewhere! Your missing the point the resource is for eveyone to share, not one particular group excluding all others!

So, what are you doing to resolve the conflict in order to get what you'd like? Beside continuously pointing out the faults of a percentage of individuals in the other user group.

This is a serious question, not intended to humour anyone. The same question is also directed at anyone else who has been actively engaging in these discussions.

[oddjob]

Why not have a set boundary for sports fishing and a set boundary for first nations . Mission Bridge to Aggizie Bridge for fishermen and The first nation will have from Aggizie bridge to sawmill creek  . Have the DFO at the boundary so nobody crosses .

[Eagleye]

I posted this on another site and thought it should go here too. I'll probably take flak for this but I've got big shoulders. Simple solution, shut down sport fishing sockeye permanently in freshwater. Let the FN people have it like they used to before this joke of a fishery was opened in the 90's. I'm quite happy fishing for other salmon species, sturgeon and rainbows.

Hasn't this always been your stance on the sockeye fishery?  Like FN this incident is being used to fuel ones private agenda.  As for solutions I cannot think of any at the moment.  DFO has created this problem by turning a blind eye to illegal sales of fish and not being clear when FN have openings.  I think the soultion lies within DFO doing a better job of managing the fishery but that is probably a lost cause...

[Eagleye]

Why not have a set boundary for sports fishing and a set boundary for first nations . Mission Bridge to Aggizie Bridge for fishermen and The first nation will have from Aggizie bridge to sawmill creek  . Have the DFO at the boundary so nobody crosses .

This would make things far too crowded IMO

[Easywater]

Saw something interesting last night while scouting for Pinks in the lower Fraser.

There were several boats drift netting down-stream from the Alex Fraser bridge.
One boat had its net pretty much across the middle of the river, drifting upstream with the incoming tide.

Along comes a double-barged tug up river, heading to a dock very near where the net was drifting.

The tug needs to do a complete 180 degree turn to be able to slow down the 2 barges and dock them.

It was hard to tell the exact distance from where I was (about 300 yards away) but it looked like the tug motored past the drift net by a few yards (could have been 50-100 feet) then started his turn, nearly clipping the drift net.

Now the tug has very little control on the timing of his 180 degree turn. If he slows down to miss the net, the 2 barges behind him will run into him or start swinging around on their own at the wrong time.

It took a good couple of minutes to complete the turn and it looked like the fishing boat was scrambling to either pull in the net or slow it down so it wouldn't run into the last barge.

Adding to this problem was another fishing boat coming around the side of the barges at a good clip and very nearly runs into the drifting net. Looked like he hung around for a few minutes helping the 1st boat trying to move or pull in the net.

It's hard to say if the tug was trying to clip the net or not or if he really cared, one way or the other.

It would be interesting to hear from other people that work on the river to see how much more difficult it is with lots of net fishing boats on the river.

[Birdsnest]

Simply put...


Crack down on illegal activity.   

The same attitude that has east hastings looking like a battle ground from hell, is also resulting in the heated war zone on the fraser.

Enforce the law.  Take prisoners.  Seize boats.  Seize fishing rods.  Only those who are breaking the law will complain.

We law abiding citizens, anglers are sick of it

[Morty]

Two user groups share a resource, either one is not going anywhere. Conflicts are resolved by understanding each party's concerns through dialog,

Give me a break !
Rodney, I realize you're the moderator on this site but this has been going on for decades.   There's been a ton of time pass for "understanding".   We've "understood" the differences between pedestrians and car drivers for almost 90 years now but we don't put up  traffic lights until someone gets killed.

We're talking about emotional, irrational humans.  And I don't mean the the few individuals involved are emotional or irrational.  I mean that for the most part all of us are emotional and irrational.  When it comes to making a decision between what our mind wants and what our heart wants, the heart usually wins out.  We need to support and motivate DFO into taking the action that they are mandated to take.

The success of Fishing with Rod depends on there being a reasonably healthy sport fishery in BC, and the Lower Mainland in particular.  Although you are doing your best to be neutral you realistically cannot be.  I believe that you have a mandate from your subscribers and advertisers to rally the troops toward a positive outcome. 
You have the knowledge. 
You have the platform.
You have the writing and photography skills.
 NOW IS THE TIME !!!

[Iris]

To me, on so many levels, this story just does not pass the smell test at all. Is it just me, or does anyone else feel this way. I'm not going to list all of things that don't add up but, I'd like to see the BB gun confiscated and the person(s) apprehended before I buy into this. The Chehalis band has much at stake, commercial speaking, begining shortly.

[ion]

"They threatened us and repeatedly rammed our boats as we fought to untangle our gear and defend ourselves with oars and poles," said Charlie.
There is this saying: "A lier's mouth tells you the truth";
like those guys got their net and didn't want to let it loose; boaters dream;
they had to "fought" and "defend" to get it back;
who was the first one aggressive? I have a feeling that was Charlie ...
And why tries to move the attention from a particular situation? Shut down the river for all sportfishing... in your dreams Charlie...

[Rodney]

I have the mandate to rally the troop? lol... My obligation for my subscribers is to provide the services that I am selling. My obligation for my advertisers is to promote their business via my website content. I am not a lobbyist, especially not for a group where a good percentage of the individuals lack the respect for other user groups and the resource.

There has been no attempts of understanding by the way, except a few dialogue sessions set up by the Fraser Basin Council for sportfishing representatives with all Lower Fraser First Nation bands that I participated in a few years ago.

This thread is not an attempt of understanding, not to mention the racist content that I have removed so far.

The success of Fishing with Rod depends on there being a reasonably sustainable resource.

My question has not been answered by anyone. What are you doing to resolve the conflict in order to get what you'd like, beside continuously pointing out the faults of a percentage of individuals in the other user group?

[speycaster]

I know Chief Willie and you could not wish to meet a nicer gentleman. If sport fishermen wanted to alienate one of the few chiefs that have any sympathy for sports fishermen this was the way to do it. I cannot believe that the incident happened any other way that the way he explained it.

[Morty]

My question has not been answered by anyone. What are you doing to resolve the conflict in order to get what you'd like, beside continuously pointing out the faults of a percentage of individuals in the other user group?

Ok I'll got first,

Personally, I try to treat all people on the river equally.  I have even stopped at dark-dusk on my way back to the boat launch to check on a couple of First Nations fishers that were having trouble starting their motor.  Waited into until their boat was running before carrying on.  I waive to them when I pass by boat, and move out of their way when they drift close.   One day I hope to see the same respect from them.  We must make it clear to First Nations people that we are not against them as individuals or nations, but against the present 'system'.