COMMUNITY NOTICE – Important Guidance: 2026 Food Fish Program

Date of Notice: June 4, 2026
From: Lax Kw’alaams Band and Lax Kw’alaams Fisheries Department

The Lax Kw’alaams Band is pleased to support the Food Fish Program for the 2026 season. This program is generously offered as a courtesy to ensure that members who otherwise lack access to harvest salmon can still obtain it.

To ensure a smooth, fair, and successful season for everyone, all community members must review and adhere to the updated program guidelines below.

1. Mutual Respect and Professionalism
Providing food fish involves exceptionally hard work and long hours. Please treat our hard-working fisheries staff and crew with the greatest level of respect and dignity.

• Zero Tolerance: To protect our staff, anyone who is rude, inconsiderate, or disrespectful may be denied fish.

2. Update Your Contact Information Immediately
We connect with you entirely by phone. If you have changed your address or phone number since the last season, you must contact the Fisheries Department to update it immediately.

• Important Penalty: If we do not have your correct number before calls begin, your name will be deleted from the active food fish list. You will have to wait until the following season to collect food fish once your information is corrected.

3. Deceased Family Members
If you have lost a family member within the last year, please contact the Fisheries Department to have them removed from the contact list.

• We have many youth community members helping make calls and distribute fish this season. Please be civil and kind to them if a deceased loved one is accidentally called. The best way to prevent this is to contact us to update the list ahead of time.

4. Pick-up Limits (No Extended Family/Friends
Due to ongoing annual issues, you are only permitted to pick up fish for yourself this year.

• The Only Exception: You may pick up for an extended family member or friend only if they received a call that same day and have explicitly designated you to pick up on their behalf and the distribution team is able to confirm that they were called the same day and they have provided verbal designation to our team.

5. Be Prepared or Lose Your Spot
Please ensure you are fully prepared to receive and process your salmon before we call you.

• If you decline fish because you lack processing supplies, your name will be moved to the very end of the list. You will only be contacted again after everyone else has been served, subject to fish availability.

6. Wait for Your Call
Do not show up to delivery locations unless you have received an official call to pick up your fish. We will strictly serve only those who have been called for that specific day. If you show up without a call, you will be turned away and asked to return only when called.

Questions or Contact Updates?
Please reach out to the Fisheries Department as soon as possible to update your phone number, manage list removals, or ask questions:

• In-Person: Lax Kw’alaams Fisheries Department
• Phone: Jay Alexcee 250-627-5733 ext 2014
• Email: [email protected]

Thank you for your cooperation, understanding, and support in making this a successful season
for the entire Lax Kw’alaams community.

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