First Nations FSC Catch Database Project

Catch monitoring and reporting is a vital component in ensuring accurate fish stock assessments and sustainable Food, Societal, and Ceremonial (FSC) fisheries. Information gaps regarding returning salmon abundance and condition in First Nation fisheries in terminal areas may result in poor estimates of spawner abundance and a reduced ability to forecast population survival rates, which may in turn lead to fishery management errors that are often most detrimental to FN fisheries themselves, operating at the terminal end of the salmon’s journey. The purpose of this project is to expand the capacity of First Nations fisheries organizations to manage FSC fisheries through training in the use of database software that facilitates assembly, reporting, and exchange of catch monitoring data in a standardized format with other agencies, such as the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO).