No equity 'in my lifetime'
Treaty supporters admit serious flaws
Supporters of the proposed Canada-U.S. salmon interception agreement admit that American catches of Canadian fish will continue almost indefinitely, a Fisherman survey has revealed.
A telephone canvass of spokesmen for fishing industry organizations which support the treaty found surprising agreement that the treaty is deeply flawed and will not eliminate American imbalances for many years.
But all defended their support for the treaty on the grounds that it stops American interceptions from increasing and provides protection for chinook salmon.
The UFAWU opposes signing of the treaty.
Equity between Canadian and
American interceptions "may not be achieved in my lifetime," said Fishing Vessel Owners Association spokesman Luis Souza, "but we feel there is a commitment that each country will get its own fish in the long term."
"In the short term the figures are not good," he added, although American interceptions are limited. The alternative, he believes, is a fish war in which Canada would be the loser.
Paddy Greene, of the Prince Rupert Fishermen's Co-operative Association, agrees that it will take "two or three cycles to reach equity" and that the treaty "is far from a perfect document."
But Greene believes that "if we wanted to have spring salmon we had to have a treaty. We don't
have a fair deal up north but the chapter on equity should give us what we want."
None of the representatives contacted were concerned that Canadian sovereignty is undermined by a treaty that allows American involvement in every aspect of Canadian fisheries management.
Pacific Trollers Association president Larry Teague said his organization likes the treaty so much that it has lobbied Victoria cabinet ministers to ease provincial government fears about its impact.
"We're in favor and want to see it go through," Teague said. "Without it we cannot commence rebuilding chinook stocks." Teague believes restrictions on west coast trollers will encourage Americans to rebuild coho and chinook stocks.
"I know people have been sacrificed here and sacrificed there, but we have to bite the bullet, we have to start somewhere."
Pacific Gillnetters' spokesman Fred Penland said his group believes the treaty "is an opportunity for a long-term solution to interceptions. It allows us to get on with enhancement."
Canadians will achieve equity "over time," Penland said. "They will intercept our fish no matter what we do. I don't think you can expect perfection."
Jim Fralick, of the provincial ministry of the environment, said Feb. 14 that the province officially supports the treaty despite a call by tourism minister Claude Richmond to delay signing.
"We approved of the treaty because we thought it was the
best situation we could get at the time," he said. "The treaty provides a forum for co-operative management.
"Our position was getting worse and we didn't want to take the chance of losing another 10 years."
Native Brotherhood spokesman Cliff Atleo said the Brotherhood had reservations about the treaty and expressed concerns that it might undermine aboriginal claims.
Brotherhood conventions have supported signing a treaty but not at any cost, he said. "Our clear intention was to let the government know we support implementation, but if we find our concerns with the treaty start affecting native fishermen, our position will change awfully fast."
TREATY
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
sive manner the Pacific salmon resources of the United States and Canada." He pledged to have the pact in place for the 1985 season.
In Ottawa, Nichol warned the standing committee that the treaty allows "real encroachment over Canadian sovereignty.
"We do not believe that whole issue has been addressed, nor have we addressed in this treaty the issue of the imbalance of interceptions that occur and very heavily in favor of the U.S.
"The treaty limits our capabilities to catch salmon in the north and gives almost the maximum protection to the fisheries resources of southeast Alaska for the Americans."
Union organizer Frank Cox told MPs that the department has admitted that it will be "some time" before the countries can even begin to achieve equity in interceptions.
As for sovereignty, Cox said, Canadian control of the Fraser will exist "to the degree that it is going to be the Canadian government which will undergo all the costs."
Yet disputes arising from this work will be sent to binding arbitration, he warned. "What we have done in a very real way, despite claims that we are now in control of our fisheries, is put in an essentially continental management approach, finally submitting national decisions to binding arbitration."
Union convention delegates also adopted a series of recommendations designed to head the country toward an equitable settlement of the treaty issue, including:
• a demand for a renewed commitment to salmon enhancement and an end to "enhancement through management;"
• a call to base relations with the U.S. on full sovereignty over and full benefit from our salmon resources, combined with a commitment to exert economic and political pressure to achieve this aim;
• continuation of negotiations based on the principles established in 1971; and
• maximization of fishing opportunities coastwide in the face of continuing U.S. interception of our stocks.
UFAWU tables price demand for herring
• Skipper John Bracich (left) and the crew of the Franciscan No. 1 hoist up the literaft as they prepare to leave for the 1985 herring season.
UFAWU herring fishermen voted Feb. 15 to seek minimum roe herring prices of $1,560 a ton for gillnet fish and $827 for seine-caught fish in 1985 contract negotiations.
UFAWU secretary-treasurer Bill Procopation tabled the demands that afternoon in a meeting with the Fish Processors Bargaining Association. Last year's minimums were $739 and $400 respectively.
Procopation told fishermen the increases were reasonable and equitable shares for fishermen from what has become a highly lucrative industry.
With B.C. catches cut to a record low, Alaska forecast catches declining and San Francisco producing small amounts of roe, supplies will tighten substantially in Japanese markets.
The weakness of the Canadian dollar makes our product even more competitive in Japanese markets, he added, and processors reaped substantial increases in price last year despite the cut in minimums they forced in 1984 bargaining.
Fish and Forest Committee agrees to hold B.C. session
The House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Forestry voted last week to adopt a long-standing proposal of the Fishermen's Survival Coalition to travel to B.C. for community hearings on the crisis in the fishing industry.
In an intensive series of meetings in Ottawa during the first two weeks in February, the committee also voted unanimously to call for a one-year moratorium on construction of the CN twin-
tracking project in the Fraser and Thompson canyons.
Committee hearings in Kam-loops, Vancouver, Nanaimo and Prince Rupert late in March will focus on twin-tracking, the treaty and other management and environmental issues.
The committee decision to call for a one-year moratorium came on the heels of a submission by Chief Bob Pasco on behalf of the Oregon Jack band.
Pasco, formerly a member of
the Environmental Assessment Review Panel assessing the CN project, urged the dealy to allow for full examination of the environmental impact of the project as well as alternatives to twin-tracking.
Pasco's submission was endorsed by a union delegation Feb. 14 including union president Jack Nichol, environmental co-ordinator Arnie Thomlinson and Vancouver Island organizer Frank Cox.
Last year's minimums reflected a 3.6 percent cut, but export prices rose by almost the same amount, giving processors a major improvement in revenues. Average landed prices remained about steady at $1,120 a ton.
Other demands developed by the roe herring price conference and adopted by the membership include:
• a 50 cents a ton increase in the welfare fund contribution to $4.85 a ton;
• provision of survival suits at company expense on all company-owned vessels;
• payment of medical premiums under the gillnet agreement; and
• specific contract wording to ban the growing practice of charging crews for the purchase of additional licences.
The union has called for a closure of the roe fishery until survival and management of the stocks on a sustained basis can be assured, but the convention resolution on the issue warned that union fishermen would not tie up unilaterally and martyr themselves if the department failed to heed their warnings.
The struggle over stock strength has direct parallels with the debate over the reduction fishery in the 1950s and 1960s. As early as 1956, union fishermen warned of danger signals as stocks failed to reach expected levels.
The union exposed the absurdity of the department's claim that "you can't overfish the herring." In some instances, fishermen refused to fish when they believed the stocks inadequate.
In 1967, the union demanded a complete closure. Co-op fishermen who went out that year — union men stayed tied up — found no fish.
Stocks remained too low to support a fishery for several years.
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THE FISHERMAN — FEBRUARY 20, 1985/3