Narcisse wins Haig-Brown award

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Arnie Narcisse is well known in the Nicola Valley for his efforts in preserving and rebuilding fisheries throughout the area, as well as for keeping the fishing traditions of First Nations alive.

He was rewarded for his efforts in Ottawa by the Canadian Wildlife Federation, which presented him with the Roderick Haig-Brown Award, an acknowledgement of his work to bring a common solution to the needs of endangered fish stocks in Merritt-area rivers.

"Needless to say, I'm very excited and happy about winning this award," said Narcisse, of Stlatlimx-Blackfeet roots and a Merritt resident. "I think this shows that the First Nations have something very concrete to offer in modern-day fisheries management to bring about things like the rehabilitation of Coho and Steelhead stocks."

Corky Evans, provincial minister of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries said "Arnie Narcisse's award recognizes a lifetime commitment to freshwater fisheries. His work in conservation, stewardship and sustainable development is a model for us all. His approach of bringing people together to care for small streams in remote places is the lifeblood of fisheries."

The Roderick Haig-Brown Award is named after one of Canada's greatest outdoorsmen and writers on outdoor topics, and was established by the Canadian Wildlife Federation in 1985 as part of that organization's goal to develop a strong national voice for the recreational use of Canada's fisheries resources. Deserving individuals and organizations whose achievements in the field of natural resources are recognized yearly by the federation.

Narcisse was nominated by Bill Valentine, a member of British Columbia's ministry of Fisheries.

"Perhaps the most notable achievement of Arnie Narcisse's work is his intensive contribution in the field and in an area that has witnessed tremendous pressure from logging and agricultural activities," wrote Valentine.

Narcisse's approach to dealing with that pressure was to bring the various groups together and work with both First Nations people and the agricultural community to rehabilitate Chinook and Coho streams. Through the Nicola Watershed Stewardship Fisheries Authority and working with others who shared his vision, Narcisse helped build greenhouses that produced Native species of plants that would be placed along temperature-sensitive streams. He worked to increase water flows through stagnant sloughs lying alongside potential stream channels and building Smolt imprinting ponds to reduce the potential for fish straying. Other projects included building new intakes, screens and deflection wheels to protect Coho stocks on Guichon Creek and building a permanent Coho enumeration fence with help from the City of Merritt.

Through these methods, a population of 50 Coho in an upper Nicola River tributary has been increased to 700 over a number of years, while Chinook numbers have jumped to 18,000 from about 5,000.

Formerly the manager of the Nicola Watershed Stewardship Fisheries Authority, Narcisse currently serves on the Science Council of British Columbia, the B.C. Hydro Water Use Planning Committee and is co-chair of the B.C. Aboriginal Fisheries Commission. He has presented to the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy and to the University of British Columbia, with the view of enhancing fisheries management capacity by relying on mainstream science and traditional knowledge.

"I like to tell people that we do what we can to look after our own backyard," Narcisse said. "If we all look after our own backyards, we can make a huge difference."