Feds to reopen herring fishery despite objections by First Nations … – The Vancouver Observer
Feb 28th, 2015
Feds to reopen herring fishery despite objections by First Nations and scientists
Conservative Fishing Minister reopened the herring fisheries against the views of federal scientists, a court heard.
A federal court struck down a legal attack by coastal B.C. First Nations attempting to overturn the federal Conservative fishing minister’s decision to reopen herring fisheries in coastal waters.
The oily fish, that ordinarily provides a feeding frenzy each spring for grizzlies, whales and wolves, has not been fished in three coastal pockets since 2005, due to over-fishing concerns.
Five B.C. First Nations, along with federal scientists, still believe the herring fish on the west coast of Vancouver Island, Haida Gwaii and on the central coast are in a seriously fragile state. That’s why the Aboriginal communities filed an injunction to stop the federal minister, who re-opened the resource to commercial fishing in January.
