Gill nets do not target a single salmon run. They target the river.
When gill nets are set in the Fraser River, they intercept whatever is moving through that section of water: strong runs, weak runs, wild fish, hatchery fish, salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, and other non-target species. This is the central problem with gill-net fishing in a mixed-stock river system. It is not selective enough for the conservation challenges the Fraser now faces.
Bycatch of sturgeon is common and deeply concerning. White sturgeon are long-lived, slow-growing fish, and even when they are not the intended target, they can still be captured, injured, stressed, or killed in nets set for salmon. A fishery that unintentionally catches sturgeon cannot be considered harmless simply because sturgeon were not the intended catch.
nogill.net is not opposed to fishing. nogill.net is opposed to unselective fishing methods in a river where conservation now requires precision.
The Fraser River is not one salmon run. It is a migration corridor for many different runs moving at different times, from different tributaries, with different conservation concerns. A net placed in the mainstem does not know which run a fish belongs to. It cannot distinguish between an abundant return and a struggling one.
This is why gill nets are such a poor fit for the modern Fraser River. They are broad, passive, and unselective. They target the entire river rather than individual runs.
If conservation is the goal, then fishing methods must be able to separate what can be harvested from what must be protected.
There is an important distinction between the purpose of a fishery and the method used to fish.
A fishery may serve a food, social, ceremonial, or cultural purpose. That purpose deserves respect. But that does not automatically mean every gear type used within that fishery is traditional, selective, or conservation-minded.
Gill nets are often defended under the broad language of tradition or ceremony, but the method itself still needs to be evaluated honestly. Modern gill-net fishing is not the same as the highly place-based and selective fishing methods historically used on the Fraser.
Traditional fishing methods often worked with the river’s natural features and allowed fishers to target fish with greater care. Many methods allowed fish to be observed, counted, handled, released, or selected more carefully than a gill net allows.
Respecting ceremonial fishing should not mean ignoring the impact of unselective gear. Protecting salmon and sturgeon for future generations should be understood as part of that respect.
The Fraser River needs fishing methods that match the reality of the river today.
Selective methods can help fishers harvest permitted fish while reducing harm to non-target species and vulnerable runs. These may include fish wheels, traps, weirs, beach seines, dip nets, and other approaches that allow fish to be identified, released, counted, or handled with greater care.
The goal is not to end Indigenous, commercial, or community fishing. The goal is to move away from methods that treat the entire Fraser River as one target.
nogill.net supports a transition away from gill nets in the Fraser River and toward selective, transparent, conservation-based fishing methods.
A modern Fraser River fishery should:
Reduce sturgeon bycatch.
Protect weak salmon runs.
Avoid mixed-stock interception wherever possible.
Support Indigenous food, social, and ceremonial access through more selective methods.
Recognize the difference between cultural fishing rights and the use of non-selective modern gear.
Put conservation first so salmon and sturgeon remain part of the river’s future.
The Fraser River cannot be managed with tools that catch first and sort out the damage later.
It is time to move beyond gill nets.