Archaeological Fish Traps on the Coast of British Columbia

Summary

Fish traps are a ubiquitous fishing feature on the Northwest Coast, with thousands of features recorded at hundreds of sites. This fishing technology represents a use and modification of intertidal and riverine environments at an industrial scale, yet protocol and management practices ensured that fish populations flourished. As in other areas of the Northwest Coast, First Nations and archaeologists in British Columbia have documented fish traps, resulting in the registration of 822 fish "trap" or "weir" sites at the provincial Archaeology Branch. These represent more than 94% of all recorded fish traps sites in the province. Our review of this archaeological data set is presented, revealing a wide distribution of fish traps, varying trap design, and differing modes of construction. Dating from as early as 4500 cal 14C years BP to the early twentieth century when they were banned, fish traps in British Columbia represent an innovation that was integral to those living on the Northwest Coast and they remain important to our understanding of late Holocene fish management practices.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)   •
• Archaeology of Stranded, Intertidal, and Submerged Shorelines on the Northwest Coast of North America

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 16556