MP Cullen has concerns over Halibut discussions results

Nathan Cullen, the MP for Skeena-Bulkley Valley has made the media rounds this week, highlighting some concerns that he has over the fate of this years International Halibut Commission talks, which ended last week without an agreement in place between Canadian and American negotiators.

As we outlined on the blog on Monday, the two sides for the most part agreed to disagree on the nature of quotas for this season, with both Canada and the United States to set their own suggested limits for the fishing year which will get underway on March 27th.

Canada has suggested a 15.2 percent reduction in the allowable catch in Canadian waters, making for a quota of 6.32 million pounds, which is a decrease from the 2017 level of 7.45 million pounds.

For Cullen, the lack of an agreement suggests a need for the Federal government to become involved in matters of the halibut fishery, before the bi-national difficulties expand to other areas of note.

The MP noted that with the current trade troubles with the United States when it comes to trade and the Trump Administration, there is a need to find areas where both countries can find agreement on issues between the two countries.

His commentary for the region's media can be reviewed below:

MP worried over Halibut catch limit impasse
Cullen alarmed by International Pacific Halibut Commission failure to agree on 2018 Quotas
Nathan Cullen on Halibut Quota Talks

More items of note related to Mr. Cullen's work in Ottawa can be found here.

A further overview of the North Coast fishery is available on our archive page here.


Cross posted from the North Coast Review.