Happy Heritage Week 2021 with the theme “Where do you find Heritage?” Our fifth stop is a nod to the broader definition of heritage that includes cultural heritage. Today we want to recognize the rock fish weirs which are a traditional method of Coho salmon fishing used by the Squamish Nation at the mouth of the Capilano River. Weirs are constructed out of large stones in a tidal area of a river or ocean to direct fish to small ponds where they are essentially trapped. Local indigenous fishermen then remove the fish using nets.
This method has been used for centuries and is regulated by the Squamish Nation and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans such that weirs are only used during a designated open fishing period and cannot block more than 2/3 of the river at high tide. This allows enough fish to get through to the spawning grounds so that the fishery can be sustained.
If you have never seen this before, go to the little bridge that goes over the Capilano River by Park Royal and lean over. This will give you a great view of the weirs in action! In the meantime, here is a YouTube video to show you how it works: