Where's Our Judicial Inquiry on Fish Stocks

LOYOLA - I think you need to deliver - and Danny you need to ask. What an absolute insult and further example of mistreatment of Newfoundland and Labrador by Canada.

The Conservative Government is convening a Judicial Inquiry into the decimation of the Fraser River salmon stocks in British Columbia.

Notes for an Address by

The Honourable Jim Prentice, PC, QC, MP Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-status Indians

Assembly of First Nations 27^th Annual General Assembly

Vancouver, British Columbia
July 13, 2006

Turning, ladies and gentlemen, to the issue of fisheries and, in particular, the question of the Fraser River and the fisheries of the Fraser River and I know that there's been discussion about that this morning.

Now, first and foremost, this government is committed to conserve and protect the wild salmon stocks of the Fraser River. We believe that we, as Canadians, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal alike, have an obligation to conserve and to be stewards of this valuable resource, one of the most remarkable resources in the world, a resource which has been under assault in recent years.

And our obligation of conservation and stewardship is an obligation that transcends the rights of individual citizens in this country whether Aboriginal or non-Aboriginal and the Supreme Court of Canada has said exactly that in previous decisions. So I start with an obligation to conserve and to protect.

Over the past 15 years, the wild salmon stocks of the Fraser River have been decimated. No one is entirely sure of the reasons - we can speculate about that, we could discuss that. But government has an obligation to act and to not stand aside while this happens.

In the last election, this government, the Conservative Party campaigned on a very clear promise that a judicial inquiry would be convened.

This was part of the election platform that was put forward to the Canadian public in the last election and one of the promises that our government made.

The Prime Minister has indicated that further to that, we will convene a judicial inquiry and the purpose of that judicial inquiry will be to get to the bottom of what is the problem in the Fraser River.

And there are many reasons that have been put forward. There is the question of habitat loss, changes in the ocean, change in the ocean temperature, overfishing, illegal fishing, irresponsible fishing.

Full Address

This comes from a previous motion of the Conservatives in Opposition.

Conservative Party Proposes Motion on Judicial Inquiry into Fraser River Salmon Stocks

2004-12-08 -

OTTAWA - The Conservative Party of Canada has tabled the following motion for debate Thursday, December 9, 2004, in the House of Commons. This Opposition Motion is votable, and stands in the name of Randy Kamp, MP (Pitt Meadows--Maple Ridge - Mission, BC). Mr. Kamp will lead debate at approximately 10:15 AM:

That the House recognize that the maintenance of the sockeye salmon stocks in the Fraser River is crucial for conservation and for commercial, recreational and aboriginal users; that the Government's investigation into the collapse of this resource cannot be considered independent; that this resource has been mismanaged; that past decisions have been made without the proper science; and that, as a consequence, the House call on the Government to establish an independent judicial enquiry to determine the cause of the collapse of the sockeye salmon stocks on the Fraser River.

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Okay I'm concerned about the Fraser River stocks and the hardship it causes to families and communties that rely on them. I am concerned also about the state of our ground-fish stocks and the absolute decimation of rural Newfoundland and Labrador - does anybody care?