City Council to put fish industry issues under committee study

It’s still one of the key ingredients to the Rupert economy, perhaps not the engine that it once was, but still a major employer of local residents especially in the summer. The Fishing Industry one of the long time anchors of the local scene, will now come under the studious eye of Prince Rupert City Council.

With Councillor Joy Thorkelson making what is described as an impassioned plea, the city will look into the state of the local industry and the erosion of jobs that it has suffered over the last few years.

Council feeling that it was not properly up to speed on the issues and bemoaning the fact that they have no expert on hand to guide them, decided to form a committee to undertake further study on the issue.

The Daily News had a wrap up on Thorkelson’s presentation and the city’s plan of action to come.

COUNCIL CASTS NET FOR HELP WITH FISH ISSUES
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Tuesday June 27, 2006.
Page One

Prince Rupert council is no longer going to be adrift when it comes to the city’s largest private sector employer.

Following an impassioned plea from Coun. Joy Thorkelson, council agreed to set up a committee to provide them with a series of recommendations on the fishing industry.

“My problem is we are not getting into this.” The industry is the largest private employer in Prince Rupert,” said Thorkelson.

“If we keep losing it in bits and pieces it won’t exist. Soon the mass won’t be here – we will have lot them to Alaska or southern B. C.”

Council has extended an invitation to the Federal Fisheries Minister Loyola Hearn, and the issues are intricate, but they need to understand them, she said.

And council has dropped the ball in the past.

For example, council will need to understand how the new Integrated Ground Fish Management Plan that was recently adopted is impacting the bottom line of small boat halibut fishermen.

She said the plan requires fishermen to buy quota for any species they catch inadvertently over and above their allowable by-catch. This cost is added on top of the cost of monitoring now borne by small boat fishermen.

“The consequence of that is that most small boat fishermen right now are threatening to sell out,’ she said.

“If we lose that little bit of halibut quota –which in a year like last year is what kept people going over the winter time because they had a halibut quota – if they sell out of that they will be forced to sell out of the commercial salmon industry as well.”

Council agreed they need expert help to keep them up to date on fisheries issues.
“I would be happy to support a committee like that. It’s clear the average council person doesn’t understand enough about the fishing community,” said Coun. Ken Cote.