Speakers from British Columbia
Bob Chamberlin
Kwik’wasutinuxw First Nation, British Columbia, Canada
Bob was elected Chief of Kwicksutaineuk Ah-Kwa-Mish First Nation in 2005. Since that time, he has been actively involved in the community’s comprehensive community planning process and pursuing capital resources and undertaking activities for nation strengthening and community development. Chief Chamberlin is a traditional singer of the Kwakwakawakw People and is also involved with digitizing and restoring recordings of songs and history. He is the Vice-President of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, and has been active in promoting awareness of the effects of salmon aquaculture in the Broughton Archipelago.
Wally Samuel
Ahousaht First Nation, British Columbia, Canada
Wally is a member of the Ahousaht First Nation a part of the Nuu-chah-nulth community located off the west coast of Vancouver Island in B.C. on Flores Island. He was born and raised in Ahousaht and spent his childhood on a fishing boat as his father was a commercial fisherman. He has worked over 30 years in community development and public service having worked for a number of organizations in various management capacities. He was appointed by the Hereditary Chiefs to the Ahousaht Fish Farm Committee. Drawing on his expertise building and maintaining partnerships he worked with the Committee to negotiate the terms of the Protocol Agreement between the Ahousaht and Mainstream Canada for aquaculture operations within their traditional territory in Clayoquot Sound in British Columbia. Nuu-chah-nulth people, have a guiding philosophy of Hishuk-ish ts’awalk. This means everything is one which recognises that communities, cultures, economies and environments are interwoven and impact one another. Mr. Samuel wanted to ensure that the Protocol Agreement not only provided economic and social benefits to the community but also an ongoing meaningful voice for the Ahousaht.
Katie Beach
Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, British Columbia, Canada
Katie is originally fromOntario, Canada, but went west to work and study with Nuu-chah-nulth Nations to the North of Ahousaht. After completing a Master’s in Resource and Environmental Management fromSimon Fraser University in Canada, she began working for Uu-a-thluk (the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council’s Fisheries Department) in 2006 as a Fisheries Biologist/Resource Management Advisor. In that role she has worked closely with Ahousaht (among other Nuu-chah-nulth Nations) and was appointed onto the Ahousaht Fish Farm Committee in 2006. She has been involved in coordinating sea lice research between local First Nations and industry and acts as a technical advisor on environmental issues in relation to fish farms for Ahousaht.
Speakers from Eastern Canada:
Fred Metallic
Gespegewaq Mi’kmaq Resource Council, Quebec, Canada
Fred is a Mi’gmaq from the First Nation community of Listuguj, Quebec, works with his community as a researcher, community organizer, and educator. Fred holds a Ph.D. from York University. His dissertation, written and defended entirely in Mi’gmaw, entitled “Ta’n Teli’gji’tegen ‘Nnu’igtug aq Ta’n Goqwei Wejgu’aqamulti’gw” is a landmark achievement: this was the first Ph.D. dissertation in Canada to be written and defended in an Indigenous language. Fred is the former director of research for the Mi’gmawei Mawiomi Secretariat, which is a land claims organization. Fred has previously taught at St. Thomas University in New Brunswick. Fred’s research interests include Indigenist perspectives on land, culture, language, treaties and governance. Currently, Fred is working with community organizations, as well as the First Nation Government of Listuguj, to develop community-based sustainable natural resource management plans. Fred is a Gept’n (delegate) on the traditional governing body of the Mi’gmaq, the Sante Mawiomi (Grand Council). As a Gept’n, Fred works to advance Indigenous rights and responsibilities to his nation’s ancestral lands, waters and resources. Fred lives in Listuguj, Quebec, with his wife Amy and their three children.
Isaac Metallic
Gespegewaq Mi’kmaq First Nation, Quebec, Canada
Isaac (or Ike) is from the First Nation community of Listuguj Quebec, one of the largest Mi’gmaq communities on the East Coast of Canada. Ike is a well-known salmon fisherman and he is a respected Elder in his community and across the nation. He has five grown children and ten grandchildren. Ike is a firm believer in Mi’gmaq culture, language and rights. From a young age, Ike began working to support his family, first in the woods, and then as a high-steel ironworker in the United States. During his working days, and continuing today, he has always made time to practices his fishing rights – for instance, fishing for salmon, trout, eels, lobster, and crab. As an Elder, Ike sits on numerous committees and councils, which deal with resource management issues, fishing rights, and land claims. Ike lives in Listuguj, Quebec, with his wife Dianne.
Ross Hinks
Miawpukek First Nation, Conne River, Newfoundland
Ross is Director of Natural Resources and presently represents the Miawpukek First Nation on many national and provincial resource management boards, and is very active in Atlantic salmon management, protection and enhancement. Through his leadership MFN have received two awards (one National and one Provencal) for its work with Atlantic Salmon.
Speakers from Norway:
Marianne Balto
Member of Parliament Council, Sami Parliament of Norway
Marianne is a Sami from Tana. She is member of the Sami Parliament and currently holds a seat in the Sami Parliament Council. She has worked extensively with Sami salmon fishing issues in several national commissions and boards. She was a member of the Norwegian/Finnish river border commission dealing with joint salmon management in theTana riverfrom 1985 to 1998. She was also a member of the Norwegian government’s official commission on wild salmon management from 1997 to 1999. As member of the Council she currently has responsibility for consultations on salmon issues with the Norwegian government.
Steinar Pedersen
Sami University College, Kautokeino, Norway
Steinar holds a PhD in Sami history and has done extensive research on the history of Sami salmon fisheries. He was rector of theSamiUniversityCollegein Kautokeino, until first of August 2011 – now associate professor.
Bjarne Johansen
Sea Salmon Fishers’ Association, Tana, Norway
Bjarne is a Sami from the Tana fjord area, and he is head of the sea salmon fishers’ organisation in the Tana fjord, that hosts 164 members. Bjarne has been skipper on fjord fishing and coastal fishing vessels (cod fisheries), and currently owns his own boat. He is also a board member of the Eastern Finnmark coastal fishers’ organisation, and currently involved in a research project to improve salmon management in the Barents region that samples coastal salmon fisheries.
Otto Andreassen,
NOFIMA, Norway
Otto has a master degree in Fisheries Science from the Norwegian College of Fishery Science, UniversityofTromsø (major in Coastal Zone management). He has a wide experience regarding aquaculture, both from the industry, governmental management agencies and as a consultant. He now works as a researcher at Nofima in Tromsø with focus on aquaculture, governmental management, and development of coastal areas.
Håvald Hansen
Sami Trade and Development Centre, Tana, Norway
Tor Mikkola
Fjord Fishers’ Association, Finnmark, Norway
Jørgen Christiansen
Marine Harvest Norway
Jørgen is the Communication Director for Marine Harvest Group. He holds a MsC in Economics and Finance from the Norwegians School of Economics and has worked with communication as a consultant and director since 1999.