For the past two years, the Federal Fisheries Minister tried to open the commercial roe herring fisheries on the West Coast of Vancouver Island (WCVI) despite continued Nuu-chah-nulth concerns about low herring abundance. The actions of the Fisheries Minister led to a Federal Court injunction in 2014 and protest activities in 2015. What will you and your party do to respect Nuu-chah-nulth knowledge about herring, to avoid the confrontations of 2014 and 2015, and to ensure conservation and sustainability of WCVI herring?
Carrie Powell-Davidson’s response: In considering the rationale behind the recent Heiltsuk Nation position that it is advocating for joint management of the herring fishery on the central B.C. Coast with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, with the explicit cooperation of the Federal Government, I feel that it is critically important that the person elected to serve this riding understand and be supportive of this First Nation’s aspiration to save and grow the herring fishery to a level that will support both their traditional fishery, as well as that of the commercial fishery.
The Federal Liberal Party of Canada has on September 10th, 2015, committed to a plan to protect Canada’s oceans.
This plan includes, among other things, to:
• Reinstate the $40 million cut from the federal government’s ocean science and monitoring programs, and restore scientific capabilities at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans;
• Re-establish thorough environmental assessments, review all amendments made by the Harper Conservatives to the Fisheries Act and other legislative changes, and incorporate modern safeguards to protect our ocean and freshwater fish habitats;
• Work with provinces, Indigenous Peoples, and other stakeholders, to effectively co-manage our oceans;
I believe that these commitments will address the concerns and aspirations of the Heiltsuk Nation directly and will lead to a positive resolution to the fate of the herring fishery of central West Coast B.C.
And I believe that the full plan as released on September 10th will have positive impact on the many related issues First Nations and those of us on the West Coast, and throughout Canada, have been working so diligently to resolve pertaining to the health of our oceans and fisheries.
If elected, I would use every means at my disposal as an MP to work on behalf of the Federal Liberal Party of Canada, and potentially, the government of Canada, to collaborate with First Nations and other stakeholders, to implement these commitments on the West Coast, including the re-establishment of sustainable herring fishery practices, informed and assisted by the Heiltsuk First Nation and their demonstrably successful traditional fishery practices over the centuries.
