Indigenous Fishers First

08/20/2026

08/20/2026

08/20/2026

Knowledge, leadership, and infrastructure — Gitanyow showed us all three.
Indigenous Fishers First just made our first trip up into the Lax’yip of the Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs, and it left us genuinely inspired.
We came to work on an exciting project: building the kind of infrastructure that adds value to fish already being harvested and preserves the catch properly — so Gitanyow harvesters have more choices, more options, and more opportunity from every fish that comes out of the water.
What we found was a nation already doing the hard part. Standing at the traditional fishing sites, you understand immediately why these places matter. And the fisheries science coming out of the Gitanyow Fisheries Authority — the technical arm of the Hereditary Chiefs — is deep and comprehensive: stock assessment, catch monitoring, habitat restoration, and watershed work across the Nass and Kitwanga systems. This is a program that voluntarily stood down from fishing Kitwanga sockeye for conservation reasons. That tells you everything about the values behind the data.
Just as powerful was seeing the traditional government in action. The Wilp system and the Hereditary Chiefs making decisions for the territory and the membership — not as history, but as working, functioning governance. It’s a great example for anyone who thinks reconciliation is an abstraction.
Indigenous Fishers First is proud to be working with GitWet CFE, the Gitanyow–Wet’suwet’en Commercial Fishing Enterprise, on building a better future for these communities and their harvesters.
Already looking forward to the next visit — and to the Wet’suwet’en project and getting into that territory.
Wil’aa’ayin — thank you to the Chiefs, the GFA team, and everyone who took the time to show us the territory. 🐟

07/28/2026

So glad we could be a part of bringing this critical infrastructure to a community that needs it. Thanks for trusting Indigenous Fishers First and Celt Industries to get the job done.

07/27/2026

A Forklift and Ice machine two wins for community Harvesters. Simple implementation making a difference for two communities.

Vision only matters when it shows up on the water. 🌊

Communities and harvesters haven't been asking for another plan. They've been living the gap between what gets promised and what actually arrives — and they've been patient long enough.

We're not here to talk about what's possible someday. We're here to implement — putting the systems, the access, and the tools directly into the hands of the people who've always known what this work requires.

Today, not tomorrow. That's the standard we hold ourselves to.

If you're building alongside communities and ready to move at the pace they deserve, let's talk.

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07/23/2026

Sovereignty starts at the smokehouse. 🌊
For generations, Nuu-chah-nulth families have known what the salmon, halibut, and herring mean — not just as food, but as identity, economy, and responsibility to the territory.
Today, that knowledge is meeting new opportunity.
We’re building a future where the value of the catch stays in the community. Where mobile, modular processing means a fisher on Vancouver Island doesn’t watch the wealth of their harvest leak downstream to someone else’s plant. Where 100% utilization isn’t a slogan — it’s how we honour every fish that comes aboard.
This is what economic and food sovereignty looks like in practice:
• Fishers earning full value for what they land, close to home
• Youth seeing a future on the water and in the business of the water
• Communities designing programs for the territory, not the boardroom[Attachment]
• Traditional knowledge and modern infrastructure working as one
The ambition has always been here. Now we’re building the infrastructure to match it.
To every Indigenous fisher holding the line between tradition and tomorrow — this vision is yours first. Let’s build it together. 🐟

07/13/2026

Is your Nation facing challenges with reporting and compliance? Are overdue government contribution agreement reports delaying your funding? Are you waiting for holdback dollars that require some reporting to be completed?

At Indigenous Fishers First, we focus on helping your Nation, Community, or Commercial Fishing Enterprise (CFE) regain compliance and get your funding back on track.

We manage reporting and compliance for:
- AFS (Aboriginal Fisheries Strategy)
- AAROM (Aboriginal Aquatic Resource and Oceans Management)
- PICFI / NICFI / AICFI (Pacific, Northern & Atlantic Integrated Commercial Fisheries Initiatives)
- Reconciliation contribution agreements

Our services extend beyond clearing backlogs. We also assist with:
- Funding applications and access to new funding
- Business planning and operational support
- Joint venture partnership development, always aiming for community and Nation control and ownership in the long term.

We believe that your fisheries future should be owned and led by your community. Let’s secure the funding you need to address today’s challenges and unlock new funding opportunities for future growth.

Reach out to Indigenous Fishers First to start the conversation.

07/09/2026

🐟 Indigenous Fishers First — Built by Harvesters, for Harvesters
For generations, Indigenous harvesters have held the deepest knowledge of the ocean. Yet too often, the economic benefits have flowed elsewhere. Indigenous Fishers First (IFF) exists to change that.
Who We Are
IFF is a fisheries and seafood development company helping Indigenous harvesters and communities move up the value chain and participate in every aspect of recovering maximum value from their marine resources. We specialize in fisheries economic development and sustainability, rooted in coastal BC and working alongside First Nations who have stewarded these waters since time immemorial.
What We Do
• 🗂️ Government Reporting & Compliance Support — Stay compliant, informed, and in control without losing time on the water.
• 📊 CFE Management Services & Systems — Proven systems for efficient, transparent, and accountable harvest operations.
• 💰 Funding Access — We help communities identify and secure grants, federal programs, and investment to grow and modernize.
• 🛠️ Technology & Expertise — The right tools and people to tackle the hardest challenges facing Indigenous fisheries today.
Let’s Build Something Together
Rights alone don’t build prosperity. IFF closes the gap between harvesting rights and full economic participation — with solutions that work for your community and your fishery.
📩 Reach out today — we are eager to be part of your prosperity.

07/02/2026

A momentous day unfolds for Indigenous Fishers First as a state-of-the-art Flake Ice Machine is unveiled, launched into operation, and is set to make waves this afternoon. We're absolutely thrilled for the incredible team in Klemtu and the Central Coast Commercial Fishing Association, our valued clients. Huge appreciation to the exceptional team at Celt Industries for their outstanding support in delivering and installing this game-changing equipment. Thanks for believing in us to bring this vision to life and for your patience as we worked tirelessly to make it happen. This revolutionary Ice machine will empower harvesters to unlock new possibilities with their catch.

06/26/2026

🌊 The fish have always known the way home. Now we’re building the systems to make sure the value comes home too.
For generations, Indigenous harvesters on the West Coast — from the inlets of Nuu-chah-nulth territory to the shores of communities across Canada — have carried the deepest knowledge of the ocean. The relationship is ancient. The harvest is sacred. The expertise is unmatched.
But too often, the economic value of that harvest hasn’t made it home.
That’s what Indigenous Fishers First is changing. Right now. On the ground.
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🔧 We’re building the infrastructure — modular, mobile, scalable seafood processing and cold storage designed for and by Indigenous communities. Ice where the fish are. Processing close to the dock. Dignity in every step from boat to market.
📊 We’re building the data systems — traceability platforms, fisheries data analytics, and digital tools that put Indigenous harvesters in control of their story, their catch, and their value chain.
🎓 We’re building capacity — training programs, business development support, and fisheries management expertise rooted in decades of on-the-water experience with First Nations communities across BC and beyond.
🌍 We’re building markets — connecting Indigenous-harvested, wild BC seafood to premium buyers in Europe, the US, and locally, with full transparency, traceability, and the harvester’s story at the centre.
🤝 We’re building together — joint ventures, community partnerships, and co-investment models where Nations and harvesters aren’t just suppliers. They’re owners.
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This is systems-building. This is reconciliation in action. This is the Blue Economy showing up for the people who have always been its stewards.
Whether you are:
✅ An Indigenous harvester or community looking for real infrastructure and business support
✅ A funder or partner who wants to invest in durable, community-led change
✅ A Nation ready to move up the seafood value chain
✅ A buyer who wants to know exactly where your fish came from and who caught it
👉 We want to connect with you.
The work is happening now — from Vancouver Island’s West Coast to the East, from the dock to the data centre. We are building a national network of Indigenous fisheries capacity, one community at a time, and we are actively looking for the right partners, funders, and harvesters to grow with us.
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💬 Drop a comment, send us a message, or tag someone doing incredible work in Indigenous fisheries and coastal communities.
The tide is turning. Let’s make sure our communities are on the right side of it. 🐋
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