Tag Archives: B.C. First Nations
Fishing communities welcome B.C. intention to reform licensing and quotas
As part of the Coastal Marine Strategy unveiled last week, the province says it’s moving toward an owner-operator system for quota and licences. Under the new system, licence and quota holders would also need to be active fish harvesters — something advocacy groups and First Nations have been requesting for years. A transition to an owner-operator system would aim to eliminate the ability of a few giants to stake a majority claim on B.C.’s fishing grounds. One company alone, Jim Pattison’s Canfisco, owns double-digit percentages of some fish quotas, worth tens of millions of dollars. An owner-operator system is not a novel concept in the country. Atlantic Canada has had one in place for years, and as a result, has lower costs compared to B.C. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:21
First Nations fight feds over decision to open herring-roe fisheries
The goal for all three first nations is to convince the federal government to look at the evidence and keep the herring fisheries closed in their areas — herring remain abundant in the Strait of Georgia and Prince Rupert — until there are enough fish to support commercial fishing. They would also like to work with the government to manage the fisheries, which they believe have been badly managed thus far. Read the rest here 20:43
