Welcome to Gitanyow Territory
The Gitanyow Fisheries Authority (GFA) is the technical arm of the Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs (GHC), and provides fisheries, wildlife and overall environmental expertise and services. GFA shares an office with the GHC, which is located in the village of Gitanyow. GFA has been operating since 1997 and in that time has grown to employing 3 full-time biologists, 1 full-time fisheries coordinator and 8-10 seasonal technical staff. GFA conducts salmonid stock assessment, watershed restoration, environmental monitoring, fish and wildlife habitat assessment, environmental impact assessment, research and planning, primarily within the Gitanyow Territory.
A driving force behind the creation of the GFA was the perilous state of the Kitwanga River sockeye salmon. This stock was historically a key food fish for the Gitanyow people, as well as a vital component of the highly productive Kitwanga River Watershed ecosystem. The Gitanyow have taken the lead by volunteering to not harvest Kitwanga sockeye as a Food, Social and Ceremonial (FSC) fish since the early 1970's. They were also instrumental in spearheading the Kitwanga Sockeye Recovery Plan in 2005-2006, a collaboration between GFA, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and the Skeena Fisheries Commission (SFC). A key part of the recovery of the Kitwanga sockeye has involved accurate stock assessment (i.e. enumeration), resulting in the construction and operation of both the Kitwanga River Salmon Enumeration Facility and the Kitwanga River Sockeye Smolt Enumeration Facility. Both these stock assessment tools have enabled GFA to obtain accurate counts of sockeye spawners and smolts, with the additional benefits of enabling enumeration of all salmon spawners that migrate into the Kitwanga River.
Starting with the protection of the Kitwanga River sockeye salmon, the GFA has grown into a well established fisheries management team, that now conducts stock assessment work in the Nass River Watershed (Cranberry River, Brown Bear Creek), as well as a variety of work throughout the Gitanyow Traditional Territory. The services of GFA staff are now in demand and have been acquired for work in neighbouring watersheds, such as Sedan Creek and throughout the Kispiox River Watershed.
PHOTO GALLERIES
Mark Cleveland conducting lakeshore spawning habitat survey in Gitanyow Lake (aka Kitwanga or Kitwancool Lake).
Looking downstream from the KRSEF at upstream migrating pink salmon
Dozens of educational tours have been done at the smolt fence, from kindergarten to college classes. Shown here is the Gitanyow Independent School class on a field trip.