CNCF General Manager Aaron Murray: Building for Future Success

Aaron Murray is a fourth-generation commercial fisherman, who brings a lifetime of experience to his role as General Manager of Coastal Nations Commercial Fishing (CNCF).

Born and raised in Maple Ridge, BC, Aaron’s ancestors from Scotland initially settled on the east coast, before heading west, where they built a good life on the banks of the Fraser River. “Times were tough feeding lots of kids and they realized there was a bounty swimming right by their door,” says Aaron. The family has relied on the cycles of salmon along the Fraser River and coast-wide ever since.

Aaron’s family is still very rooted in the fishing industry in BC, participating in every step of the value chain—from harvesting and offload to trucking, processing, smoking, value adding, marketing, retail and wholesale. “I can’t remember not being in fishing,” says Aaron. “Every summer, we’d be on the boats, because that’s where our family was. When we were kids, just sleeping under the table, and when we were old enough, working and getting paid.”

Asked what he loves most about fishing, Aaron doesn’t hesitate: “It’s the memories with family for sure. Just being out on the water and witnessing some of the marvels of nature that you can’t experience unless you’re on a boat.” He also highlights the intimate connection to the food you eat and where it comes from. “Having a hand in a harvest, and feeding yourself and others is very rewarding,” he adds.

As he continues to build relationships and seek new opportunities to advance CNCF, Aaron says the company will need to be nimble and open to change. “Fishing is always changing,” he says. “No two seasons are the same and no two days are the same.” Aaron compares the success of the company to what individual fish harvesters must do every day to excel. “Successful fishers are very intelligent,” he says, and that means always adapting to their surroundings. “They’re constantly assessing changes—the tides, the water, weather conditions, fish behaviour, competition and the markets. They have to see the patterns and opportunities, and be decisive enough to act at the right time. That’s what makes a successful fisher.”

Throughout his career in fisheries, Aaron has experienced his share of challenges. “Those challenges are always there and they’re just part of the job,” he says, adding that you have to be committed and it has to be more than a job for you to keep going back for more. Aaron has fished throughout the coast, mainly salmon and herring, and he says his favourite cut of fish would be red spring salmon bellies, preferably smoked and ideally harvested in tidal waters. “It’s so oil-rich and tasty, you can literally see the oil coming out when you smoke it,” he says.

His advice for aspiring fishers is to jump at any new training opportunities as they arise, such as first aid or a dive certificate. “Any hours on the water matter,” says Aaron. “Those skills are what sets you apart.”

He also says it’s essential to connect with someone already in the field. “Fishing isn’t something you can read in a manual,” he says. “You need to have mentors and you need to take the time to do it. You have to work your way up and get the hours behind you. That’s what makes the difference.”

As for his leadership role with CNCF, Aaron is still building relationships and connecting with people up and down the coast—a part of the job he truly loves. “The opportunity to establish relationships across so many communities is exciting,” he says, adding that he’s also excited to work in so many different aspects of coastal fisheries. “Most companies and fishers specialize in one or two species, but this position cuts across a lot of species—dive fisheries, groundfish, salmon, crab and more. It’s such a dynamic role.”

Building a company from the ground up can be daunting, but when Aaron arrived as CNCF’s inaugural General Manager, he was thrilled to see a strong foundation for the company had already been created through years of planning and negotiations through the FRRA. “I really appreciate the work that happened before I arrived,” he says. “The company has been structured and set up to be a winner. I feel very fortunate to step in after all that hard work.”

Aaron’s vision for the future is to be a “profitable, vertically integrated company” with a robust portfolio of vessels and licences that is focused on the shareholder Nations’ priority species. The ultimate goal, he says, is to ensure long-term, viable opportunities for shareholder citizens to work in fisheries—in processing, as fish harvesters, or in other areas—and for CNCF to have a recognizable brand that people throughout the Nations will be proud to be a part of.

“Brand building is a slow process but it has already started,” he says. “It can only be established through strong relationships with our Nations, the fishers, and with the industry in general. It happens interaction by interaction, by connecting with people on the water and in the territories.”