Sumas First Nation features in a new digital series – created by the American Fisheries Society (AFS) and Content With Purpose (CWP) – highlighting the people and organizations working to combat the challenges facing fisheries in the US, Canada and globally.
S’olh Temexw, Abbotsford BC, August 26, 2025 – Sumas First Nation is proud to feature in the American Fisheries Society’s (AFS) wide-ranging digital film series, Tomorrow’s Catch: Securing our Future Fisheries, produced in partnership with UK based strategic content creator, Content With Purpose (CWP). Over 50 short films have been produced examining the complex challenges facing fisheries and celebrating the innovative solutions being developed to protect these vital ecosystems for future generations.
A preview of the series was screened at AFS’s 155th Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas, earlier this month, with the full series launching on August 26, 2025, via this link: contentwithpurpose.co.uk/afs/tomorrowscatch
Sumas First Nation has chosen to highlight a project of paramount importance to our people: the Fish Weir Traditional Knowledge Platform. This pilot program has been operational for 3 years and has allowed our team to utilize traditional knowledge blended with modern materials and resources to construct a fish weir and trap box in the Sumas-Chilliwack River. This project offers opportunities for our team to conduct research and determine whether this method will be viable to ultimately use as a harvesting method in the future.
“With the work that we are doing now, that will ensure that the salmon stocks are robust enough to ensure that we will have this food sovereignty moving into the future.”
-Troy Ganzeveld, Semá:th Councillor
With unprecedented climate pressures and mounting environmental threats – from plastic pollution and oil spills to invasive species and hydroelectric development – the future of aquatic ecosystems has never been more uncertain. Tomorrow’s Catch explores watershed restoration, climate adaptation, biodiversity conservation, the role of tribal hatcheries, next-generation talent and policy advocacy. It has been informed first-hand by a wide range of coastal and inland communities, fisheries, scientists, Indigenous leaders and industry experts, who are all working to achieve environmental conservation, food security, and cultural heritage.
“This digital series powerfully reflects AFS’s mission to support the science, policy, and community engagement needed to address the complex challenges and solutions to improve the conservation and sustainability of fishery resources and aquatic ecosystems. I am hopeful that Tomorrow’s Catch will help drive awareness and the urgency for collaborative action right now.”
–Jeff Kopaska, Executive Director of AFS
Fisheries are more than fish; it is about clean water, resilient ecosystems, food security, and cultural connection. Through a combination of future-focused content, including short films and expert interviews, Tomorrow’s Catch spotlights inspiring people and organizations throughout the United States, Canada and internationally who are playing a transformative role in preserving marine and freshwater ecosystems.
“This series has been an incredible undertaking in story telling from across North America and around the world. From Alaska and the Yukon to Texas and the arctic fisheries of Norway, it’s been a pleasure to help champion the work of inspiring people and organizations dedicated to advancing a more sustainable future for fisheries, aquatic ecosystems and the communities reliant on them.”
–Max Smith, Founder and Managing Director at Content With Purpose
Whether you’re a researcher, resource manager, policymaker, or concerned citizen, this is your invitation to dive into the science and stories driving a more sustainable future for our planet’s waters – and the communities that depend on them. The series is available to watch now at contentwithpurpose.co.uk/afs/tomorrowscatch
About Sumas First Nation
The Semá:th people are known as the fierce wolf people and are a part of the larger Stό:lō Nation. We are located in Abbotsford, BC, where we have been since time immemorial, and we are located where previously the Semá:th Lake and waterways were. These aquatic habitats formed an integral part of our community and our traditional way of life. Today, Semá:th has approximately 400 members, and we are continually growing.
To speak with a representative from Semá:th, please contact:
Semá:th (Sumas First Nation)
Media & Communications
Chantel Homme
Communications Officer
media@sumasfirstnation.com
+1 (604) 835-3380
Notes to editors
Tomorrow’s Catch: Securing our Future Fisheries features 22 Series partners:
Alabama Division of Wildlife & Freshwater Fisheries, Alaska Blue Economy Center, BK – Riverfish, Chestnut Carbon, Coeur d’Alene Tribe, Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC), Conservation Resource Alliance, Trinity Consultants Canada, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, Henry’s Fork Foundation, IISD Experimental Lakes Area, Kvarøy Arctic, Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, San Antonio River Authority, Southern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association (SSRAA), Sumas First Nation, Susquehanna University – Freshwater Research Institute, Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency, Woodwell Climate Research Center, Yuba Water Agency.
10 expert interviews:
- Dr. Marlis Douglas, Professor, University of Arkansas; Second Vice President, American Fisheries Society
- Jeff Kopaska, Executive Director, American Fisheries Society
- Gary Whelan, President-Elect, American Fisheries Society
- Christina Parker, President, California-Nevada Chapter, AFS
- MeiLin Precourt, Natural Resources & Environmental Management Student, University of Hawai’i
- Joe Snapp, Biology Specialist, Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation, Idaho
- Julie Claussen, Fisheries Research Biologist and Science Communicator
- Dr. Katie O’Reilly, Aquatic Invasive Species Specialist, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant & Illinois Natural History Survey
- Jay Hesse, Director of Biological Services, Nez Perce Tribe Fisheries Department
- Dr. David Shiffman, Marine Conservation Biologist and Author
The series also includes inspiring case study films looking at the incredible work to restore the Klamath River, the efforts to protect the Great Lakes from invasive carp, the therapeutic benefits of fly-fishing for breast cancer survivors, and the work of tribal hatcheries.
About AFS
Founded in 1870, the American Fisheries Society (AFS) is the world’s oldest and largest fisheries science society. The mission of AFS is to improve the conservation and sustainability of fishery resources and aquatic ecosystems by advancing fisheries and aquatic science and promoting the development of fisheries professionals. With five journals and numerous books and conferences, AFS is the leading source of fisheries science and management information in North America and around the world.
About CWP
Content With Purpose (CWP) is a strategic content creator that partners with leading member bodies and associations to highlight their industries’ contributions to sustainable development. Through compelling storytelling, CWP produces and promotes impactful digital series – featuring short documentaries, interviews, articles, and more – designed to raise awareness, drive change, and promote innovation across key sectors.
The organization’s mission is to communicate hope, opportunity, and solutions – connecting people with ideas that inspire action and collaboration.
As a proud B Corp Certified company, CWP is committed to using business as a force for good.
