Yes, fisheries endangered

BC Fisheries Survival Coalition responds to SG article.

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Dateline: Tuesday, May 29, 2012

From: Phil Eidsvik, Vancouver

Dear Straight Goods:

[Thanks for the article about the] effect of the Fisheries Act amendments on the Conservative government.

Attached and below is information on the proposed amendments to the Fisheries Act which have been included in the Conservative Omnibus budget bill, Bill C-38.

At issue is a weakening of the habitat protections provisions in the Act, the loss of the public right to fish, using fish to fund DFO and DFO’s chosen organizations or individuals and the commercialization of aboriginal food fisheries.

In BC, all of our commercial and recreational fishing organizations have been caught asleep at the wheel by the broad scope of the amendments. We are just now starting to work on this file.

The details of the amendments are contained in the attached letter from John Cummins, the leader of the BC Conservative Party and in my op-ed below.

Our concerns are not driven by partisan politics. John was a long time federal Reform, CA and Conservative MP from 1993 until last year. His expertise on fish was unmatched by any other MP in Parliament. I share his political heritage and ran as a Conservative candidate in the 2006 federal election.

Our legacy of generally open access to Canadian fisheries depends upon stopping the amendments to the Fisheries Act in the budget bill.

Good luck.

Regards, Phil Eidsvik
Executive Director
BC Fisheries Survival Coalition
406 - 535 Howe Street
Vancouver, BC
V6C 2Z4

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