Herring fishery protest
About 50 aboriginal protest boats have sailed out to meet the commercial herring fleet off B.C.'s central coast on Wednesday.
The Heiltsuk and Kitasoo First Nations say herring stocks are depleted and have declared the area a no-fishing zone.
- LINK: Heiltsuk Nation
- LINK: Kitasoo First Nation
But 40 commercial fishing boats sailed into the area anyway, hoping to net 2,500 tonnes of herring.
Fisheries officers and police in zodiacs and a patrol boat are monitoring the protest about 15 kilometres from Bella Bella.
"The tone right now appears to be calm. There have been no incidents of any kind, and everything seems to be rolling along peacefully so far," says RCMP Sgt. Marc Landry.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans says the commercial fishers netted about 400 tonnes of herring before noon.
The DFO also says there are adequate stocks for both the commercial and aboriginal fisheries in the area.
- INDEPTH: First Nations