What we have had for the past few years has been...
A PM that supports Norweigen salmon farms in our waters, and the private ownership of Canada's Halibut
A fisheries minister that supports private ownership Canada's Halibut, individual transferable quota, and no interest in sportsfishing as being a fundamental right to a Canadian citizen.
A north island MP that has REFUSED to listen to the concerns of his constiuents and bring them forward to be addressed.
Now these people have a strong mandate to continue in the direction they have been heading.
Any idea's???
Well, there is still one avenue to explore before the legal option. Duncan has promised to sit down with all sectors and to see if a compromise can be reached. We need to hold him to that. We have nothing to loose if its all smoke and mirrors, and a lot to gain if he does follow through on his promise. So how do we do it??
Since he specifically mentioned working with HIS constituents, it would seem that we need to put a workable sized committee together that comprises guides, tin boat fisherpersons, lodges and fishing suppliers .
It should not get too caught up on where the committee members are located on the north island either. We should also make sure that we have a VERY strong connection to the south island halibut anglers as they have many of the resources and knowledge that will be needed to counter the commercials who will object to every suggestion we put forward.
The SFACs from the north Island are the logical place to start putting a committee together, so that we can speak with ONE voice.... Comments and other ideas? Time frame??
From the CR Mirror:
Duncan, meanwhile, expects to return to the House of Commons “very soon” and is ready to get back to work.
“I don’t know what my role will be,” said Duncan, who was Minister of Indian Affairs in the previous government. “But there are some obvious issues I want to deal with. Because we have half of the B.C. coastline in this riding, there’s always marine issues and fisheries issues and we have an environmental review process going on at Raven Coal Mine (near Fanny Bay).”
Duncan said he wants to work with the forest sector, which he says is on the rebound, and make some investments in the riding. He also said he has been mandated by Prime Minister Stephen Harper to work on a B.C. solution to the halibut allocation issue.
“It’s something I said I would do and I will be dedicating significant time and priority to that issue,” said Duncan.