Government of Canada and Gitanyow Nation Sign Incremental Fisheries Reconciliation Agreement

GITANYOW, BC, Aug. 31, 2026 /CNW/ -- The Government of Canada, represented by the Honourable Joanne Thompson, Minister of Fisheries, joined representatives from the Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs to sign a 10-year Incremental Fisheries Reconciliation Agreement at the Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs' Office and Sindihl House of Learning in Gitanyow, in northwestern British Columbia. It was signed by the Honourable Joanne Thompson, Minister of Fisheries, and the Honourable Rebecca Alty, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations.

This agreement will strengthen the Gitanyow Fisheries Authority's capacity to deliver fisheries stewardship initiatives, including the Kitwanga Sockeye Recovery Program. It will also support participation in commercial fishing opportunities, collaborative approaches to the management of Gitanyow fisheries, and ongoing salmon conservation and recovery efforts.

The agreement is an important step forward in Nation-to-Nation reconciliation. It builds on the longstanding relationship between Canada and Gitanyow Nation to support healthy, sustainable salmon populations. It also recognizes the importance of information-sharing and coordination among multiple partners for effective salmon stewardship at the watershed level.

The Government of Canada is committed to renewing Nation-to-Nation relationships with Indigenous Peoples based on the recognition of rights, respect, co-operation and partnership, and to implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Quotes

"This agreement is a step forward in reconciliation, and it is built on the leadership Gitanyow has shown in caring for the salmon in this watershed. It covers the next ten years of making decisions about this fishery together, and that is what keeps salmon healthy and the fishery strong for Gitanyow families."

The Honourable Joanne Thompson, Minister of Fisheries

"The Gitanyow Incremental Fisheries Reconciliation Agreement marks a significant step forward towards our ongoing path of reconciliation with Gitanyow. This agreement advances our relationship by fostering new opportunities in fisheries founded on collaboration, mutual respect, and capacity-building."

The Honourable Rebecca Alty, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations

"Our people have carried the responsibility of caring for the salmon and fisheries within our Lax'yip for thousands of years. This agreement strengthens our ability to continue that work while creating greater opportunities for Gitanyow people to participate in the fisheries that have sustained our Nation. We look forward to continuing to build a strong relationship with Canada based on respect, collaboration and our shared responsibility to ensure healthy salmon populations for generations to come."

Joel Starlund/Sk'a'nism Tsa 'Win'Giit, Executive Director, Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs Office

Associated Links

• Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs
• Government of Canada and Gitanyow First Nation advance construction to build Kitwanga River hatchery for Skeena sockeye

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SOURCE Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Canada

Contacts: Ira Khedkar, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Fisheries, [email protected]; Media Relations, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 613-990-7537, [email protected]