Citing a crisis in salmon numbers, Gitxsan Hereditary leaders have banned all sport fishing from their territory in northwest B.C.
The Huwilp Government, composed of 38 Hereditary Chiefs, has been working since 2017 to protect the habitat of salmon, which 
are integral to the diet and culture of Indigenous people in the Skeena watershed.
“All persons holding recreational fishing permits and/or fish guiding licenses are no longer allowed to trespass in Gitxsan territory. People need to know that when they fish here, they are trespassing in controlled territory,” says Brian Williams, Chair of Gigeenix
(Up River Chiefs), in a news release.
The Chiefs have set up an advisory committee dubbed the “Crisis Team” which will collaborate with government to create a future process where all sports fishers will require permission from individual Chiefs.
“Our fish are in crisis and this is an ongoing situation with a track record that has been going downhill. We have to do something. The next step we talk about is to find a path to turn this around and banning recreational and sports fishers from fishing our
traditional territory is a step in the right direction,” says Art Wilson (Wiimoulglxsw), Gitxsan Hereditary Chief.
The Chiefs say they have created a communication platform, including a website, newsletters, and live streaming of
meetings to “promote transparency around the decisions and actions of Huwilp Government.”
