The Native Fishing Association (NFA)
Promotes and Supports Indigenous People
in BC's Commercial Fishing Industry.

Years of Results
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Fishers Assisted
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The Native Fishing Association (NFA)

Supporting Indigenous
BC Fishers

The Native Fishing Association (NFA) promotes and supports Indigenous commercial fishers in BC. Whether you have an established commercial fishing business or have just become interested in the industry, we are here to help.

We provide loans and grants, shared licenses and quotas, and a variety of support services to help you grow or start your fishing business.

Please browse our website to learn more about our programs and services, and get in touch if you have any questions.

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Today on #womeninfishingwednesday we are honoring a mother and daughter from Witset, BC.

Raven Joseph was kind enough to share with us her mothers, Betty, story.“My mom was one of the first women to fish in these waters. As a single mom of ten kids (seven girls and three boys) she had to provide everything we needed all on her own. So she fished every summer from 5am to almost 9pm some days. She also provided for the whole community and the fisheries that provided fish for other communities. She is now 75 years old. She holds the record for biggest spring caught out of the canyon with a dipnet. She now lets me use her dipnet. I go every summer to dipnet fish.” ... See MoreSee Less

Today on #womeninfishingwednesday we are honoring a mother and daughter from Witset, BC. 
Raven Joseph was kind enough to share with us her mothers, Betty, story.
“My mom was one of the first women to fish in these waters. As a single mom of ten kids (seven girls and three boys) she had to provide everything we needed all on her own. So she fished every summer from 5am to almost 9pm some days. She also provided for the whole community and the fisheries that provided fish for other communities. She is now 75 years old.  She holds the record for biggest spring caught out of the canyon with a dipnet. She now lets me use her dipnet. I go every summer to dipnet fish.”Image attachmentImage attachment+2Image attachment

3 CommentsComment on Facebook

Beautiful

Amazing 🥰

Awesomeness

#womeninfishingwednesday ... See MoreSee Less

#womeninfishingwednesday

#throwbackthursdayinfishing

“The Indian reserve geography of British Columbia, premised on access to fisheries, may also be understood as evidence of those rights; the refusal to recognize the connections, indicative of their denial. That geography should also be seen as one of the grounds that support a renewed Native presence in the fisheries.” (2008. Dr. Douglas Harris, Professor and Chair in Legal History, UBC) ... See MoreSee Less

#throwbackthursdayinfishing

“The Indian reserve geography of British Columbia, premised on access to fisheries, may also be understood as evidence of those rights; the refusal to recognize the connections, indicative of their denial. That geography should also be seen as one of the grounds that support a renewed Native presence in the fisheries.” 

(2008. Dr. Douglas Harris, Professor and Chair in Legal History, UBC)Image attachmentImage attachment

#womeninfishingwednesday

Celebrating Selena McLaughlin and all the Indigenous fisherwomen in her family! 👏🏼 Shout out to all the Indigenous fisherwomen - sisters! - south of our US/Can border! 🙌🏼 ❤️ ... See MoreSee Less

1 CommentComment on Facebook

We have so many from our nation that now participate, I am so proud of them all ..we mainly fish a river system so many of them do so well..

Today, we would like to acknowledge the Joe Family, working together for their community! #FamiliesInFishingFriday #FIFF

"We have been fishing together for many years, we fish for 6 families. My sisters Jeanette Green, Bernita Saul and myself are the cutters, we cut and hang the fish. Bernita is one that checks the fish hanging to make sure all is ok and lets us know when to remove them from the racks. We travel an hour away from home to do our fishing at a place called Bridge River, and we stay for about a week, depending on how the fish run is. We all know our jobs to do around the fish camp, as we have been doing this for many years, more than 30 years. My nephew Rick Joe, and his wife Peggy Janicki and their son Anthony are the one that do the fishing, cleaning the fish at the river, then packing the fish back to camp for us to prepare to hang for wind drying, in my language it’s called tswan (wind dried) Packing the fish back to camp is a very difficult, heavy job for the fishermen and fisher woman. We are always so thankful to them for the job they do.”Thank you for sharing, Gladys Joe! ... See MoreSee Less

Today, we would like to acknowledge the Joe Family, working together for their community! #FamiliesInFishingFriday #FIFF 

We have been fishing together for many years, we fish for 6 families. My sisters Jeanette Green, Bernita Saul and myself are the cutters, we cut and hang the fish. Bernita is one that checks the fish hanging to make sure all is ok and lets us know when to remove them from the racks. 

We travel an hour away from home to do our fishing at a place called Bridge River, and we stay for about a week, depending on how the fish run is. We all know our jobs to do around the fish camp, as we have been doing this for many years, more than 30 years. 

My nephew Rick Joe, and his wife Peggy Janicki and their son Anthony are the one that do the fishing, cleaning the fish at the river, then packing the fish back to camp for us to prepare to hang for wind drying, in my language it’s called tswan (wind dried) Packing the  fish back to camp is a very difficult, heavy job for the fishermen and fisher woman. We are always so thankful to them for the job they do.”

Thank you for sharing, Gladys Joe!Image attachmentImage attachment+2Image attachment

Before the west coast was settled by non-indigenous people… less than 200 years ago…

How much would be harvested for every Indigenous adult to consume 3lbs of fresh EVERY DAY and, assuming 50% of the population were children and only consumed 1 lb on average EVERY DAY? In 1947, anthropologist Gordon Hewes estimated per capita consumption was about 700 pounds of fresh fish per year (that’s about 2 lbs per person per day) for EACH member of the Tribes who lived within the Fraser River system alone. ... See MoreSee Less

Before the west coast was settled by non-indigenous people… less than 200 years ago…

How much would be harvested for every Indigenous adult to consume 3lbs of fresh EVERY DAY and, assuming 50% of the population were children and only consumed 1 lb on average EVERY DAY? 

In 1947, anthropologist Gordon Hewes estimated per capita consumption was about 700 pounds of fresh fish per year (that’s about 2 lbs per person per day) for EACH member of the Tribes who lived within the Fraser River system alone.

#womeninfishingwednesday

Indigenous fisherwomen honouring each other is powerful, and beautiful. ❤️When NFA called out on Jan 10 for Indigenous fisherwomen to send in their stories and pics, Jessica Taylor thought of her late friend, cousin, and bestie, the late Helen Anne Beans who sadly passed in 2022.Jessica says” I’m a fifth generation fisherwoman from Sointula, BC with strong roots in Yalis (Alert Bay). I am from Namgis First Nation, with Tlingit ancestors. Helen and I were both Indigenous fisherman and fisherman together shaking herring and on spot prawns, as well as fished side by side on different boats on the salmon seine.”This post is in honour of the late Helen Anne Beans and the fisherwoman-friendship she clearly cherished with Jessica Taylor. maya'xa̱la (respect) ... See MoreSee Less

#womeninfishingwednesday
Indigenous fisherwomen honouring each other is powerful, and beautiful. ❤️

When NFA called out on Jan 10 for Indigenous fisherwomen to send in their stories and pics, Jessica Taylor thought of her late friend, cousin, and bestie, the late Helen Anne Beans who sadly passed in 2022.

Jessica says” I’m a fifth generation fisherwoman from Sointula, BC with strong roots in Yalis (Alert Bay). I am from Namgis First Nation, with Tlingit ancestors. Helen and I were both Indigenous fisherman and fisherman together shaking herring and on spot prawns, as well as fished side by side on different boats on the salmon seine.”

This post is in honour of the late Helen Anne Beans and the fisherwoman-friendship she clearly cherished with Jessica Taylor. 

mayaxa̱la (respect)Image attachmentImage attachment+Image attachment

4 CommentsComment on Facebook

What a beautiful tribute post. I know/knew both of these incredible women. 💕

This is beautiful. My condolences for your loss of someone who looks like they were a blast to spend time with.

You and Hel really were 2 peas in a pod - 2 corks in the bunt? 2 herring scales on the brim of big sets hat? Love you and Helen so much Jessica Cheryl-ann ❤️

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