Fish resource must be shared

Page 4

The report of B.C. resource specialist Peter Pearse contains a lot of useful ideas on how to manage that province's salmon resource in the face of a growing Native commercial fishery.

And it is encouraging to see community leaders along the Fraser River supporting the University of British Columbia professor's findings and recommendations on missing fish stocks.

It is unfortunate, though, to see non-Native commercial fishermen take a defensive, stance, arguing that letting first nation communities into a resource economy spells economic disaster. That point of view was outlined in a report commissioned by the Commercial Fishing Industry Council.

Salmon have thrived in the Fraser for at least as long as first nations have lived on the West Coast. The fish stocks were integral to a way of life that dates back thousands of years.

It was only in the last hundred years that governments and bureaucrats started placing restrictions on Native fishing. In the meantime non-Native settlers in the region developed a thriving industry and barred first nations from participating.

In the last couple of years, court decisions have sought to correct this historical wrong. Canadian law now recognizes a Native right to enjoy the economic benefits of the West Coast's rich salmon fishery.

Non-Native commercial fishermen will have to adapt to the changes. It is not fair that they will be allowed to reap the profits from a natural resource they are not willing to share with the original inhabitants of British Columbia.