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[chris gadsden]

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.


                                            *******



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.

                                               ***

[FISHIN MAGICIAN]

Not that I advocate this...but once upon a time....certain nets tended to go missing...


Furthermore..a few phone calls to the RCMP, fisheries and oceans officers...etc...

Better yet...lets get the TV stations on this one...give Fisheries and Oceans Canada some bad press...particularly when they are busy at it late at night....

[chris gadsden]

Not that I advocate this...but once upon a time....certain nets tended to go missing...


Furthermore..a few phone calls to the RCMP, fisheries and oceans officers...etc...

Better yet...lets get the TV stations on this one...give Fisheries and Oceans Canada some bad press...particularly when they are busy at it late at night....

FOC have been trying to schedule some meetings using a outside facilitator the last 6 weeks or so between all user groups including the RCMP so as to try to cool things for the upcoming fishing season. Part of the reason for these get togethers is to try and prevent an unfortunate incident from happening. If you remember there was a few close calls last year.

 From what I gather apparently one user group has cancelled out at the last moment, the last being two weeks ago this Tuesday when a meeting was set and then cancelled the day before.

The local press is getting interested in these proposed meetings and why they are not happening. They will be asking some questions if a meeting does not get off the ground in the near future.

[FISHIN MAGICIAN]

You mean the close calls where certain individuals stated "You touch those nets and you're going to get shot at!" or "We'll kill you ?"

You mean the close calls where nets fouled sporties gear?

You mean the close calls when certain groups wouldn't allow access to certain areas of the river accessible to anyone under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms?

You mean the close calls where Fisheries and Oceans Canadian Enforcement Personnel dared not do their job to arrest poachers and violators for fear of their lives and personal safety--and when they thought of their wives and children at home and realized that they would rather go home to their families than wind up Sturgeon Food?

Not that I have to say anything, but reading reports in newspapers as well as hearing first hand accounts makes me sick---as the fact is...POLITICIANS HAVE NO WHEREWITHAL TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM.

My post serves not to incite any rise to arms, or call to discriminate, but more call for examination of the issues.

[chris gadsden]

This is why a number of groups with the SDA being the leader on this have been working to prevent these incidents you have mentioned FM. The SDA have been trying for the last few years to put pressure on the Federal Government and upper FOC management who are the main cause all these problems have been happening. Unfortunatley at the expense of the salmon and sometimes public safety.

[rerigger]

well Mr.kamps sure had it right when he said

we wish the government would work as hard to insure the survival of the pacific salmon
as it does its own survival

a sad reminder that we live in a broken country

government by pigs for pigs

i'll shut up for a senate post though !!!!!!!!

[keithr]

Maybe I missed something, but I don't see anything hopeful in the exchanged quoted in the original post.  Seems to me what the honorable Geof was saying was, "shut up and stop pestering me!"

Seems to me an "unfortunate incident" is what it will take.  Maybe a better term would be "confrontation."  Sometimes things have to get worse before they can get better.

[chris gadsden]

Maybe I missed something, but I don't see anything hopeful in the exchanged quoted in the original post.  Seems to me what the honorable Geof was saying was, "shut up and stop pestering me!"

Seems to me an "unfortunate incident" is what it will take.  Maybe a better term would be "confrontation."  Sometimes things have to get worse before they can get better.

I should have added we have heard through the grapevine here in the Valley that enforcement has been stepped up for this coming season but proof will be in the pudding to see if that is true. It will not be long until we see what is going to happen with the illegal fishing once the sockeye hit the river.

[newsman]

Thanks for the good work Chris. Please continue to keep us posted.

[redside1]

there is so much more to this than meets the eye. It may seem simple, like members of the Cheam band broke the law , charge them. Unfortunately they have many weapons at their disposal and after hearing about all the concerns the RCMP and DFO have, there could easily be another "Oka" crisis if DFO was to just jump right in. There have been talks with the band chief to hopefully change the direction that things are going in and this, of course,takes time. There will be charges brought forward against members over time, but to put a strong case together that band elders will support takes time.  Just hope that this fall when the band has elections, the same chief stays in power and it does not fall back into the hands of the previous chief.

[DragonSpeed]

You mean there's a worse potential chief?    Uggh.

[allwaysfishin]

the government must just think we are all no better than sheep..... baaaaaahhhh
anyhow, it is incidents in history such as OKA and Burnt Church and many more no doubt that , through violent confrontation, forced government to actually act on the problems. This seems to be the typical canadian way and will no doubt be the fraser way if radical action is not taken by government and enforcement...... NOW