Natives accused of over-fishing salmon

Page 2

The B.C. fisheries Survival Coalition is on the attack again, and this time it's targets four Native bands for criticism.

The coalition accused the Musqueam, Tsawwassen, Burrard and Coquitlam First Nations of greedy consumption of the Early Stuart Sockeye Salmon. Rather than casting an eye to conservation, the bands chose to make a quick buck, said spokesman Phillip Eidsvik.

Eidsvik said the Department of Fisheries permitted a 12-hour Aboriginal commercial fishery of the Early Stuarts despite low spawning numbers. He said commercial fishermen have left the Early Stuarts alone since 1982 when the Stuart cycle was down to 4,600 pieces. This year the run was established at 200,000 with 100,000 allowed to spawn, said the coalition. Eidsvik suggests Native fishermen are overfishing the Stuarts and not allowing an adequate number of fish to go on to spawn.

"It's outrageous that Native commercial fishermen have fished these stocks for the last two weeks. This will set the run back at least another cycle."

Joe Becker of the Musqueam band said this is just another excuse to attack the overall Aboriginal Fisheries Strategy. The coalition's fight against the AFS has been waged for years.

The accusation the bands were fishing more than their limit is ludicrous, said Becker.

"All Aboriginal people are concerned with conservation and besides the DFO would have closed the fishery down," he said. "They'll always find some reason to criticize."

Becker said the whole issue is a matter of sour grapes. The coalition members are angry that they are not allowed to fish these stocks.