While watching Question Period on Friday picked up on this bit of info that may interest a few of you.
Do you think FOC will follow through with it this year?
From Hansard:
Mr Randy Kamp (Pitt Meadows - Maple Ridge - Mission, CPC): Mr. Speaker, when the fisheries committee tabled its report on the disastrous 2004 sockeye salmon fishery, it included, along with its 12 unanimous recommendations, a request for a response within 60 days. It did so because of the concern that some serious problems needed to be corrected before the 2005 season.
Those 60 days expire tomorrow. Will the minister tell us today if he is going to continue to ignore us or is he going to implement our recommendations?
Hon.Geoff Regan (Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Lib.): Mr Speaker, I have indicated previously that I appreciate the work of the committee and its report. I reviewed it and we will table a response in due course.
Mr. Randy Kamp (Pitt Meadows - Mission, CPC): Mr Speaker, we can only wish that the government would work as hard to ensure survival of Pacfic salmon as it does its own survival.
Our report and the post-season review of Justice Williams highlighted the fact that there was a serious problem with enforcement and called for increased enforcement efforts. However, an internal DFO document reveals that there is a plan in place to reduce the number of fisheries officers in the Pacific region, so we are very concerned about the future of this resource.
Why is the minister continuing to refuse to fix the problem and make a real commitment to enforcement on the Fraser River?
Hon. Geoff Regan ( Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Lib.): Mr. Speaker,my hon. colleague knows that what he is saying is not actually accurate. That is not how it will work. He knows, for example, that we are focusing efforts on the Fraser River. We will not be focusing as much perhaps on dealing with cottagers and their docks or with farmers and their culverts. We want to focus on the important issues of the Fraser River Fishery, for example.
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Lets hope something happens as we the recreational anglers sometimes seem to be the most concerned about this issue on the Fraser River and we must keep the pressure on to save our precious salmon.
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