Fishing

The Gitanyow are active in fishing, and the Gitanyow Fisheries Authority (GFA) plays a key role in those efforts.  GFA biologists and fisheries managers are active in negotiating and planning with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) on sustainable quotas, and in determining if and when fisheries can occur.  GFA projects such as the Kitwanga River Salmon Enumeration Facility are vital in determining if certain runs can be fished, and when those fisheries can occur.  The GFA fisheries coordinator and other staff play a key role in monitoring any fisheries on Gitanyow Territory, and have established excellent relationships with DFO Fisheries Enforcement personnel.

GFA administers and operates both Food, Social and Ceremonial (FSC) fisheries and more recently, an economic fishery on Meziadin sockeye.

Food, Social and Ceremonial Fishing


Economic Fisheries

PHOTO GALLERIES

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Snapshots of GFA Projects

The second most effective capture method was dipnetting at the Cranberry River falls. This site is a known partial barrier to upstream salmon migration.

Kitwanga Smolt Enumeration Facility

GFA technical crews are the backbone of the program, working long, split shifts each day to maintain the fence and process each fish that passes through, sometimes over 200,000 fish per season.

Kitwanga River Salmon Enumeration Facility

Aerial photo looking at the KRSEF - Kitwanga River flows from top right to bottom left