The press communiqué of Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada states that the negotiation of fisheries is deferred which involve salmon, pending the findings and recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry into the Decline of Sockeye Salmon in the Fraser River. The Honourable Gail Shea has issued a statement saying that the deferral of fisheries related negotiations will allow for treaty negotiations to be staged so that fish chapters in treaties can be informed by the findings and recommendations of the Inquiry.
She further adds that she will continue to manage and authorize BC salmon fisheries as the Minister including First Nations allocations of salmon for food, social and ceremonial purposes, and all participation in integrated commercial fisheries. There has been decline in the Fraser River sockeye salmon stocks and the Commission of Inquiry has been established to investigate the matter.
Probe is on the way to know the causes of the decline, assessing the current state of Fraser River sockeye salmon stocks and long term projections for those stocks, and making recommendations for improving the sustainability of the sockeye salmon fishery in the Fraser River. Minister Shea told that the findings of the Commission of Inquiry may have implications for management of other Pacific salmon fisheries, and it is therefore prudent to defer negotiations on the fisheries components of treaties in British Columbia.
It was said that the deferral will not affect late stage Final Agreement negotiations with Yale First Nation, Sliammon First Nation and In-SHUCK-ch Nation, which have reached this final stage after years of good faith discussions between all parties in the BC Treaty Process.
