FOPO Committee News Release

NEWS RELEASE

FISHERIES AND OCEANS COMMITTEE TABLES A REPORT CRITICAL OF
DFO MANAGEMENT OF THE 2001 FRASER RIVER SALMON FISHERY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ottawa, June 12, 2003 – Mr. Tom Wappel, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, tabled today in the House of Commons the Committee’s unanimous report on the Fraser River sockeye salmon fishery.  The report entitled The 2001 Fraser River Salmon Fishery makes 10 recommendations.

“The main thrust of this report was that the 2001 Fraser River salmon fishery was badly managed by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Among the reasons for this, we find that the pilot sales program failed to do what it was intended to do, which was to bring order and legality to the aboriginal fishery, and stability to the commercial fishery ” said Mr. Wappel. “In order to avoid disastrous repetition of the 2001 salmon fishery, the Committee recommended returning to a single commercial fishery for all Canadians” added Mr. Wappel.

"Fishermen made clear to the Committee the economic and social costs of the pilot sales programs borne by their industry and their communities.  Their fond hope was that someone would listen.  The Committee did. I am pleased," said Mr. John Cummins, the Fisheries Critic of the Official Opposition.

Among its recommendations, the Committee calls on Fisheries and Oceans Canada to:

-        End the pilot sales program on the West Coast and replace it with comparable opportunities for Aboriginal people in the commercial fisheries;

-        Ensure that commercial fisheries for both Aboriginals and non-aboriginals are conducted under one set of rules and regulations;

-        Restore funding to science and enforcement programs critical to conservation of the resource, habitat protection, and the enhancement and recruitment of professional fisheries managers; and,

-        Provide more stable access to the resource for commercial and recreational fisheries.

The Committee believes that its recommendations will help the federal government bring stability and order to the Fraser River salmon fishery.

The members of the Committee will be available for discussion after the tabling of the report.

The Committee’s report is available on the Parliament of Canada’s web site at: .  Copies can be obtained by contacting the Clerk of the Standing Committee.