Cullen Lays Blame for Skeena Salmon Closure on DFO
Prince George, B.C. – Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Nathan Cullen says federal fisheries mismanagement of salmon stocks on the Skeena River over the past decade will have a crushing economic impact on the Northwest and could result in frayed tempers this summer.
Cullen’s comment comes in the wake of yesterday’s closure of salmon fishing on the Skeena until mid-July to all but First Nations, a move that shuts the fishery to sport and recreational anglers for a good chunk of the season. He says the right of First Nations to fish for traditional food and ceremonial purposes is enshrined in law and appropriate. But during the closure they are only allowed to harvest chinook, pink and chum salmon.
The Skeena sockeye fishery is closed to all sectors for the entire 2017 season due to predicted low returns. That could change with indications of an improved sockeye run during the season.
Cullen says “rampant cuts to hatcheries, stock protection and enhancement, as well as outrageous overfishing by international harvesters, are what really need to be attacked to protect our precious wild salmon resource, instead of targeting Northwest residents and visitors.” He predicts that with the Skeena off-limits for several weeks, tempers will rise on Northwest rivers as concentrated numbers of fishers battle for room to drop their lines. He also thinks there will be a spike in ocean fishing during the Skeena closure.
Recreational harvesting of coho, pink and chinook salmon on the Skeena is to re-open on July 15th.
Comments
What I have heard, First Nations are as guilty of overfishing as the rest of us. The no fishing ban should apply to everyone unless individuals get a permit proving it’s for their main food source.
Just head to Kitwanga and ask a local to buy fresh salmon and you will get directions to 30 different houses that will sell you salmon for 5 bucks each. Hhhmmmm I wonder why our salmon aren’t coming back?
And I bet most of them get welfare payments and do not declare the income.
Interesting how Cullen does not identify that the Harper government did all the rampant cutting!
Harper did the cutting because he was the only Prime Minister with the gonads to do what had to be done.
The Fisheries budget was $1.9 Billion a year, and they had 11000 employees. Anyone who thinks that all these employee’s were earning their salaries, or that the Billions were spent in a responsible manner is living in a dream world.
If you look at the over fishing, illegal fishing, etc; etc; you can easily see that this is a huge problem, however cutting the budget has little or nothing to do with the end result.
Over fishing in International water should give you your first hint where the problem is.
Blaming Harper for all of Canada’s problems is yesterdays news. Time to move on.
Lets look at the Liberals wanting to sell off our seaport, airports, and set up an infrastructure bank to finance their friends while they hose us on infrastructure projects.
Sit back and watch the Liberals sell us out.
It may be time to move on, but Cullen blames the salmon issue on cutbacks having been done for the past last decade! The issue can not be discussed without bringing up the past!
What a load of crap! The natives I know use this culture thing for their OWN benefit if it suits them. They are going to bring the salmon count down but they just dont get it that we all need to cut back. Same with the wildlife, it’s a big joke that shows big time reverse discrimination. To better preserve our reserves “everybody” needs to tow the rope on this one!
I have seen them catching fish at Moricetown and they just keep bringing them in. I don’t think they even have any restrictions
Don’t forget they are selling them as well.
Fukishima
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