Nathan Cullen to keep focus on salmon issues in Parliament

MP Nathan Cullen's recent tour of the Northwest with
Premier John Horgan provided him with some feedback on issues
 from hose that depend on the fishery 

Having taken the pulse of the riding during a recent trip back to Skeena-Bulkley Valley, NDP MP Nathan Cullen is set to keep the topic alive during the current session of Parliament.

On Friday, Mr. Cullen released some notes from his tour of the region, with an announcement form his Prince Rupert constituency office that highlighted some of the themes he has heard about from residents of the North Coast.

“Not surprisingly, fish harvest numbers and management plans are huge issues for all communities,” ... “Wild salmon are the heart of our Northwest economy, culture and lifestyle; we all have an interest in the health of salmon and how stocks are managed.”

“Virtually all user groups I spoke with say they are willing to support whatever sustainability measures are necessary to protect salmon, including not fishing. "People are suggesting a variety of strategies to manage low returns so the fishery can recover and thrive.”

Among some of his observations from his time on the North Coast was a review of the importance of fishery to the region and how issues related to the management of the fishery and plans for this years fish harvest remain high on the minds of residents.

He also noted the constitutionally protected rights for First Nations to fish for food as a top priority after stock sustainability, as well as to observe on the concerns raised  by many communities and businesses that rely on rivers and marine areas.

Cullen also raised the topic of foreign owned fishing lodges and how there is a need to ensure that they are not exempt from harvest restrictions.

Since the first indications of early March from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans of concerns over early stock assessments, the MP has been in contact with DFO a number of times in the last month.

As part of his Friday information release, the MP once again repeated his encouragement for DFO to release a salmon harvest plan as soon as possible.

You can examine his full statement on the fishery issues here.

The Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP's thoughts of the last few weeks on the fishery can be reviewed below:

Nathan Cullen updates themes on salmon season concerns for 2018
MP Nathan Cullen joins the debate over DFO Plans for summer fishing season


Further notes on Mr. Cullen's work in Ottawa can be reviewed here.

For more items related to the North Coast fishery see our archive page.


Cross posted from the North Coast Review