[Gunnair]

Quote:

CBC News
An MP is among more than 40 commercial fishermen recently fined for illegal fishing over an incident in 2001 when they were protesting what they felt were abuses in aboriginal food fisheries.

Conservative MP John Cummins, who represents Delta-Richmond East, said he has no plans to pay the $300 fine.

Cummins says the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans turned a blind eye to illegal fishing by First Nations people back then, and government enforcement of the food fisheries has not improved much in the 10 years since.

"The department allows these food fisheries, week after week, throughout the whole of the salmon season, knowing full well that the fish is not being caught for food purposes, but is being sold," said the former fisherman.

"That is illegal and the government is not applying the law at all, it is not enforcing the law. And we just don't think that that's right. There should be one standard when it comes to the application of the law and that standard should apply to everybody," he said.

In November 2009, the B.C. Supreme Court ruled that a group of Vancouver Island First Nations had been unfairly excluded from commercial fisheries. It ruled the bands had the right to harvest and sell all species of fish found within their traditional territories.

But the court also said the First Nations do not have the unrestricted right to the commercial selling of fish. It urged both the federal government and the First Nations to resolve the issue by negotiating a treaty that recognizes commercial fishing rights based on aboriginal title.


Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columb ... z19SpZEhZh

[redhatmamma]

Well, neither level of gov't seems prepared to stand up for the rights of ALL Canadians. This seems like another Caledonia where the gov't refuses to protect the rights of Canadian citizens by upholding the law.

[andyt]

Quote:

Cummins says the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans turned a blind eye to illegal fishing by First Nations people back then, and government enforcement of the food fisheries has not improved much in the 10 years since.

"The department allows these food fisheries, week after week, throughout the whole of the salmon season, knowing full well that the fish is not being caught for food purposes, but is being sold," said the former fisherman.

Well he's wrong about that. The government has acted. It turned what was formerly illegal native fishing into a "pilot project" where they can fish as they used to, but it's now part of a government study. So there, don't say the government never does anything. It acted in as swift and efficient manner to eliminate illegal fishing.

[Zipperfish]

I wonder if Mr Cummins has connected the dots yet. He keeps complaining about "the government"--well, he is the government.

[andyt]

Good point - his trick worked even with me (brave Cummins against the nasty govt) is I'm sure is just red meat for all the Reformacon supporters. As we've seen, the "Elect me. I'm going into government because I don't believe in government" routine works like a charm.

But I doubt Cummins has much influence with Harper - and he makes the laws.

[Unsound]

I got the impression that this was a provincial thing?

[andyt]

Unsound wrote:

I got the impression that this was a provincial thing?

How so? He's a federal MP, and fisheries are the responsibility of the DFO - a federal department.

[Unsound]

I saw something in there about the BC Supreme court. I could be wrong th, I'll go back and reread.

[Unsound]

What I get from it is that the provincial court said it was cool for the natives to do what they want until a new treaty of some type is drawn up, and the federal gov't hasn't bothered to do anything about that ruling. So yeah, mostly the feds moving slowly and probably just hoping the whole thing will go away. Shocking!!!

[andyt]

Unsound wrote:

What I get from it is that the provincial court said it was cool for the natives to do what they want until a new treaty of some type is drawn up, and the federal gov't hasn't bothered to do anything about that ruling. So yeah, mostly the feds moving slowly and probably just hoping the whole thing will go away. Shocking!!!

They're not moving at all. As I posted, what they did was institute a pilot project where natives could just harvest the fish they had been taking illegally, but now, bada bing, it's legal. And the court ruled that because this was an affirmative action program, it was legal under the charter. Christie Blatchford pointed out that this is the same sort of bullshit as happened in Caledonia, except that it's the feds rather than the province that's not willing to confront the natives.

[Unsound]

I wish I could find it in me to get really upset about it, but it's just so typical that I really can't be bothered wasting my energy on it.

[Thanos]

Amazing how much stuff can go from illegal to legal just by changing the official verbiage. "Poaching" becomes "government study program". Nice. Like I said before this country's basically made being a Native into a lifelong license to steal. Wonder if the Italian Mafia feels persecuted against just for engaging in practically the same activities but unfortunately for them having the wrong colour of skin.