The long simmering issues of the fishery on the Pacific coast will soon find a new process in place, as the federal government begins a five year program to merge the current system of separate fisheries, manage the resource better and inject some 175 million dollars into the new streamlined system.
One of the first tasks will be to bring greater participation of First Nations groups into an integrated commercial fishery. The way that the government plans to approach that goal is through voluntary commercial licence retirements, acquiring vessels, quotas and gear in all fisheries to be redistributed to First Nations fishers.
The Pacific fishery has been a graveyard for many a federal fisheries minister over the years, and frequently has seemed to be the forgotten fishery from Ottawa. So it will be interesting to see how this plan, brought in over five years works out and if it has the desired solution to an always controversial but key part of the BC economy.
Its impact locally in Prince Rupert has always been of great importance to the economy, so there will be many watchful eyes locally on the changes and how they may affect the local industry. Local fishers, companies and shore workers have felt the brunt of many a fisheries decision in the past, the current fishery in Prince Rupert is nowhere near the glory days of the fishery, when fortunes were made and employment was full for most of the spring and summer. So Rupertites will be particularly interested in how the changes to come will affect their livelihoods.
The Daily News provided a complete overview of the expected changes to fisheries policy on the west coast, featured as their front page story in Tuesday’s paper.
FEDS SAY $175 million fisheries shake up will end conflict
Loyola Hearn says fisheries will be merged, resources better managed
By Kris Schumacher
The Daily news
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Pages one and two
British Columbia’s fisheries will be the recipient of $175 million in federal spending to create a single, environmentally and economically sustainable Pacific salmon fishery.
Fisheries Minister Loyola Hearn made the announcement yesterday morning alongside B. C. Agriculture Minister Chuck Strahl, saying the time has come to end years of conflict and discourse among the various fishing groups, and eliminate current distrust from all sides.
“We need to put more of the elements in place that will build a viable and sustainable fishery for all harvesters in the province, said Hearn.
“The commercial fishery needs to be managed under a common set of rules for everyone. We need to introduce greater transparency and certainty to the business of fishing in B. C. At the same time, we also have to make sure all participants, including First Nations, have a chance to succeed in an integrated commercial fisheries.”
For years, there have been protests, legal battles and other forms of conflict between the various fishermen about the separate fisheries and different rules for each. This five-year spending plan will fulfill a promise from the Conservative government to invest in sustainable fishing practices and combat the collapse of the sockeye salmon stock in the Fraser River.
The first of the three goals stated is the support of greater participation of First Nations into the integrated commercial fishery.
Hearn stated they will encourage this through voluntary commercial licence retirement, by acquiring vessels, quota and gear in all fisheries to be redistributed to First Nations fishers. They will also help provide the tools necessary for First Nations fishermen to establish successful and sustainable enterprises, by building on existing working commercial platforms.
Hearn also stated Ottawa will be working to create a fisheries management approach that will increase collaboration between all harvest and non-harvest interests.
“Part of this goal will be to establish clear harvest sharing arrangements for the commercial salmon fishery in consultation with the fishers, while also respecting existing arrangements with other interests,” said Hearn.
“We’re confident that such an approach will go a long way to improving relationships among all fishery participants.”
The third goal will be to increase accountability to better protect and conserve the invaluable resources of the West Coast, including strengthening fisheries managing, catch reporting and enforcement. Hearn also said the spending will be used toward creating a new system to trace commercially harvested fish, from the moment they are caught until they reach the dinner tables of consumers.
“The new tracking system will also help Canada’s position in the global seafood market by following the “oceans-to –plate” management I announced in April, said Hearn.
“This management approach aims to increase the value for all participants up and down the seafood chain, and it most certainly includes British Columbia’s Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal commercial fishers.”
“If we work together with conservation foremost in our minds, then we determine what we can use viably, and we catch it at the right time, and we sell it when we can get best value and we market it properly,” Hearn said. And we do it collectively, so that we get every ounce, inch, cent we can from it, then our people can benefit a lot better, and from a lot less.”
One of the first tasks will be to bring greater participation of First Nations groups into an integrated commercial fishery. The way that the government plans to approach that goal is through voluntary commercial licence retirements, acquiring vessels, quotas and gear in all fisheries to be redistributed to First Nations fishers.
The Pacific fishery has been a graveyard for many a federal fisheries minister over the years, and frequently has seemed to be the forgotten fishery from Ottawa. So it will be interesting to see how this plan, brought in over five years works out and if it has the desired solution to an always controversial but key part of the BC economy.
Its impact locally in Prince Rupert has always been of great importance to the economy, so there will be many watchful eyes locally on the changes and how they may affect the local industry. Local fishers, companies and shore workers have felt the brunt of many a fisheries decision in the past, the current fishery in Prince Rupert is nowhere near the glory days of the fishery, when fortunes were made and employment was full for most of the spring and summer. So Rupertites will be particularly interested in how the changes to come will affect their livelihoods.
The Daily News provided a complete overview of the expected changes to fisheries policy on the west coast, featured as their front page story in Tuesday’s paper.
FEDS SAY $175 million fisheries shake up will end conflict
Loyola Hearn says fisheries will be merged, resources better managed
By Kris Schumacher
The Daily news
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Pages one and two
British Columbia’s fisheries will be the recipient of $175 million in federal spending to create a single, environmentally and economically sustainable Pacific salmon fishery.
Fisheries Minister Loyola Hearn made the announcement yesterday morning alongside B. C. Agriculture Minister Chuck Strahl, saying the time has come to end years of conflict and discourse among the various fishing groups, and eliminate current distrust from all sides.
“We need to put more of the elements in place that will build a viable and sustainable fishery for all harvesters in the province, said Hearn.
“The commercial fishery needs to be managed under a common set of rules for everyone. We need to introduce greater transparency and certainty to the business of fishing in B. C. At the same time, we also have to make sure all participants, including First Nations, have a chance to succeed in an integrated commercial fisheries.”
For years, there have been protests, legal battles and other forms of conflict between the various fishermen about the separate fisheries and different rules for each. This five-year spending plan will fulfill a promise from the Conservative government to invest in sustainable fishing practices and combat the collapse of the sockeye salmon stock in the Fraser River.
The first of the three goals stated is the support of greater participation of First Nations into the integrated commercial fishery.
Hearn stated they will encourage this through voluntary commercial licence retirement, by acquiring vessels, quota and gear in all fisheries to be redistributed to First Nations fishers. They will also help provide the tools necessary for First Nations fishermen to establish successful and sustainable enterprises, by building on existing working commercial platforms.
Hearn also stated Ottawa will be working to create a fisheries management approach that will increase collaboration between all harvest and non-harvest interests.
“Part of this goal will be to establish clear harvest sharing arrangements for the commercial salmon fishery in consultation with the fishers, while also respecting existing arrangements with other interests,” said Hearn.
“We’re confident that such an approach will go a long way to improving relationships among all fishery participants.”
The third goal will be to increase accountability to better protect and conserve the invaluable resources of the West Coast, including strengthening fisheries managing, catch reporting and enforcement. Hearn also said the spending will be used toward creating a new system to trace commercially harvested fish, from the moment they are caught until they reach the dinner tables of consumers.
“The new tracking system will also help Canada’s position in the global seafood market by following the “oceans-to –plate” management I announced in April, said Hearn.
“This management approach aims to increase the value for all participants up and down the seafood chain, and it most certainly includes British Columbia’s Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal commercial fishers.”
“If we work together with conservation foremost in our minds, then we determine what we can use viably, and we catch it at the right time, and we sell it when we can get best value and we market it properly,” Hearn said. And we do it collectively, so that we get every ounce, inch, cent we can from it, then our people can benefit a lot better, and from a lot less.”
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