Fisheries Management Directions for G̲aw K̲áahlii Masset Inlet and X̲aana K̲aahlii Skidegate Inlet
Fisheries Management Directions
for G̲aw K̲áahlii Masset Inlet and X̲aana K̲aahlii Skidegate Inlet
Council of the Haida Nation
Fisheries Management Directions
for G̲aw K̲áahlii Masset Inlet and X̲aana K̲aahlii Skidegate Inlet
Dated February 24, 2025
AUTHORITY
G̲aw K̲áahlii Masset Inlet and X̲aana K̲aahlii Skidegate Inlet including the lands and the sea, is subject to the collective and individual rights of the Haida citizens, the sovereignty of the Hereditary Chiefs, and jurisdiction of the Council of the Haida Nation. The Haida Nation owns these lands and waters by virtue of heredity, subject to the laws of the Constitution of the Haida Nation and the legislative jurisdiction of the Haida House of Assembly.
The mandate of the Council of the Haida Nation is to steward the lands and waters of the Haida Territories on behalf of the Haida Nation, and to perpetuate Haida culture and language for future generations (A6.S1). The Council of the Haida Nation aims to maintain these areas in their natural states while supporting X̲aayda X̲aaynang.ngaay | Xaads Xíináangaa Haida ways of being for countless generations.
MANAGEMENT
In February 2023, the MPA Network Committee endorsed the MPA Network Action Plan, which build upon two decades of marine use planning, including the Haida Gwaii Marine Use Plan (2011), the Yaaguun G̲andlaay Protected Area Management Plan (2011) and the Haida Gwaii Marine Plan (2015). In 2015, many of these areas were identified as K̲uuyada | Kagin Diiyagan Protection Management Zones (PMZ) in the Haida Gwaii Marine Plan, outlining management direction in these areas. In 2017, the Council of the Haida Nation designated Yaaguun G̲ándlee T’aay as a Haida Protected Area, extending the boundary of the Yaaguun G̲andlaay Haida Heritage Site. Zoning of these marine areas intend to contribute to broader conservation goals, including:
- Conservation of areas of high biological diversity including estuaries, salmon streams, ochre sea stars, Harbour Seal haulouts, eelgrass beds, kelp beds, and marine bird breeding colonies and foraging habitat;
- Representation of areas of high cultural and historic value including areas adjacent to seasonal camps and Ancestral Haida village sites, and proximity to the community of G̲aw Tlagée Old Massett and ‘Waan Kun Port Clements;
- Protection of rare, unique, threatened and/or endangered species such as salmon, marine birds, shorebirds, and Transient Killer Whales;
- Conservation of species significant to Haida and Haida Gwaii communities such as:
- Waterfowl, nesting seabirds, shellfish, Pacific Halibut, and Pacific Herring.
The Haida Nation and Canada have agreed that the fisheries closures for G̲aw K̲áahlii and X̲aana K̲aahlii through both Haida and Federal tools, processes and authorities.
This document implements the fisheries closures under Haida authority provided by the Constitution of the Haida Nation (2023) and the Haida Nation MPA Agreement (2024).
FISHERIES CLOSURES
Effective February 14, 2025, the following commercial fisheries will be prohibited in the zones in Figure 1 and Figure 2:
These closures will include the following commercial fishing:
- All bottom trawl fisheries
- All salmon by purse seine, troll and midwater gillnet
- All invertebrates by traps, pots and diving.
Effective March 4, 2025, recreational fisheries will be prohibited in the zones in Figure 1 and Figure 2:
These closures will include the following recreational fishing activities:
- All salmon by troll
- All non-salmon finfish by bottom handline, hook and line, and rod and reel
- All invertebrates by traps, pots, harpoon and spear, hand picking/digging or diving
These directions do not apply to Haida traditionally based use in G̲aw K̲áahlii Masset Inlet and X̲aana K̲aahlii Skidegate Inlet and is allowed in all areas, consistent with the Constitution of the Haida Nation and section 35 of the Constitution Act.
Additionally, these directions do not apply to shore-based recreational fishing (angling) in G̲aw K̲áahlii Masset Inlet and X̲aana K̲aahlii Skidegate Inlet.
These closures will be in effect until further notice.
G̲aw K̲áahlii Fisheries Closures
- Yaaguun G̲ándlee T’aay (Yakoun River Estuary) Those waters of G̲aw K̲áahlii (Masset Inlet) within Subarea 1-6 that lies inside a line commencing at a point on land on X̲aaydaɢ̲a Gwaay.yaay Iinaɢ̲waay (Graham Island) at 53°40.869’ N and 132°11.344’ W, thence westerly to a point in water at 53°40.669’ N and 132°12.654’ W, thence southwesterly to a point on land at Sɢ̲aahldang Kún at 53°40.303’ N and 132°13.246’ W, and thence southwesterly following the shoreline to the beginning point.
- Maaman Gándlee (Mammin River) Those waters of G̲aw K̲áahlii (Masset Inlet) within Subarea 1-6 that lie inside a line commencing at a point on land on X̲aaydaɢ̲a Gwaay.yaay Iinaɢ̲waay (Graham Island) at 53° 37.848′ N and 132° 18.067′ W, thence northerly to a point in water at 53° 37.873′ N and 132° 18.071′ W, thence westerly to a point in water at 53° 37.804′ N and 132° 18.775′ W, thence southwesterly to a point in water at 53° 37.323′ N and 132° 19.221′ W, thence southwesterly to a point on land at 53° 36.881′ N and 132° 19.331′ W, and thence northeasterly following the shoreline to the beginning point.
- Yahguu Kadlee Aduu (Dawson Islands) Those waters of G̲aw K̲áahlii (Masset Inlet) within Subarea 1-6 surrounding Yahguu K̲adlee (Dawson Islands) that lie inside a line commencing at a point in water at 53° 43.462′ N and 132° 21.075′ W, thence southeasterly to a point in water at 53° 42.965′ N and 132° 20.001′ W, thence southwesterly to a point in water at 53° 42.844′ N and 132° 20.274′ W, thence westerly to a point in water at 53° 42.819′ N and 132° 21.257′ W, thence northwesterly to a point in water at 53° 43.086′ N and 132° 21.732′ W and thence northeasterly to the beginning point.
- Aayan T’aay Sda (Ain River) Those waters of G̲aw K̲áahlii (Masset Inlet) within Subarea 1-6 that lie inside a line commencing at a point on land on X̲aaydaɢ̲a Gwaay.yaay Iinaɢ̲waay (Graham Island) at 53° 44.573′ N and 132° 24.659′ W, thence southeasterly to a point in water at 53° 44.328′ N and 132° 23.916′ W, thence southerly to a point on Gwaay K’áygaang (Kwaikans Island) at 53° 43.294′ N and 132° 24.927′ W, thence southwesterly to a point on McCreight Island at 53°42.26’ N, 132°27.365’ W, thence northwesterly to a point on land on X̲aaydaɢ̲a Gwaay.yaay Iinaɢ̲waay (Graham Island) at 53° 42.414′ N and 132° 28.393′ W, and thence northerly following the shoreline to the beginning point.
- Juus K̲áahlii Those waters of G̲aw K̲áahlii (Masset Inlet) within Subarea 1-6 that lie inside a line commencing at a point on land on X̲aaydaɢ̲a Gwaay.yaay Iinaɢ̲waay (Graham Island) at 53° 36.742′ N and 132° 27.661′ W, thence northeasterly to a point on X̲aaydaɢ̲a Gwaay.yaay Iinaɢ̲waay (Graham Island) at 53° 37.393′ N and 132° 23.520′ W, thence southerly following the shoreline to 53° 34.255′ N and 132° 28.526′ W, thence southerly following the shoreline to 53° 34.253′ N and 132° 28.993′ W, and thence northerly following the shoreline to the beginning point.
- Datl’aaman G̲ándlee (Datlamen Creek) Those waters of G̲aw K̲áahlii (Masset Inlet) within Subarea 1-6 that lie inside a line commencing at a point on land on X̲aaydaɢ̲a Gwaay.yaay Iinaɢ̲waay (Graham Island) at 53° 34.253′ N and 132° 28.993′ W, thence easterly to a point on land on X̲aaydaɢ̲a Gwaay.yaay Iinaɢ̲waay (Graham Island) at 53° 34.255′ N and 132° 28.526′ W and thence following the shoreline southerly then northerly to the beginning point.
- Aawan T’aay Sda (Awun Bay) Those waters of G̲aw K̲áahlii (Masset Inlet) within Subarea 1-6 that lie inside a line commencing at a point on land on X̲aaydaɢ̲a Gwaay.yaay Iinaɢ̲waay (Graham Island) at 53° 40.014′ N and 132° 34.154′ W, northerly to a point in water at 53° 40.417′ N and 132° 34.226′ W, thence easterly to a point in water at 53° 40.557′ N and 132° 31.780′ W, thence southeasterly to a point on land on X̲aaydaɢ̲a Gwaay.yaay Iinaɢ̲waay (Graham Island) at 53° 39.431′ N and 132° 30.352′ W, and thence westerly following the shoreline to the beginning point.
X̲aana K̲aahlii Fisheries Closures
- Tllgaduu Gandlaay Sɢ̲aagiidaay K̲uuyada (Slatechuck Creek) Those waters of X̲aana K̲aahlii Skidegate Inlet) within Subarea 2-1 that lie inside a line commencing at a point on land on X̲aaydaɢ̲a Gwaay.yaay Iinaɢ̲waay (Graham Island) at 53° 13.649′ N and 132° 13.500′ W, thence southerly to a point on an unnamed island at 53°13.303’ N and 132°13.595’ W, thence southwesterly to a point in on an unnamed island at 53°13.056’ N and 132°14.151’ W, thence westerly to a point on land at 53° 13.129′ N and 132° 14.603′ W, and thence northerly following the shoreline to the beginning point.
- Diina (Deena Creek) Those waters of X̲aana K̲aahlii (Skidegate Inlet) within Subarea 2-1 that lie inside a line commencing at a point on land on T’aaxwii X̲aaydaɢ̲a Gwaay.yaay iinaɢ̲waay (Moresby Island) at 53° 09.246′ N and 132° 07.064′ W, thence northerly to a point on land at 53°9.306’ N and 132°07.036’ W, thence northeasterly to a point on land on an unnamed island at 53°09.381’ N and 132°06.947’W, thence northeasterly to a point in the water at 53° 09.415′ N and 132° 06.870′ W, thence southeasterly to a point on land at 53° 09.105′ N and 132° 05.650′ W and thence westerly along shore to the beginning point.
- Hlɢ̲aagilda Llnagaay Sɢ̲aagiidaay (Skidegate Village) Those waters of X̲aana K̲aahlii (Skidegate Inlet) within Subarea 2-1 that lie inside a line commencing at a point on land on X̲aaydaɢ̲a Gwaay.yaay Iinaɢ̲waay (Graham Island) at 53° 17.933′ N and 131° 57.984′ W, thence easterly to a point in water at 53° 17.887′ N and 131° 57.517′ W, thence southerly to a point in water at 53° 15.335′ N and 131° 58.180′ W, thence southerly to a point in water at 53° 14.616′ N and 131° 58.830′ W, thence northwesterly to a point on land at K̲ay Kun at 53° 14.856′ N and 131° 59.749′ W, and thence northerly following the shoreline to the beginning point.
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