Keep domestic allocation, DFO told
• TOBIN
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 wants Canadians to catch fewer American salmon from the Columbia River. On the southern boundary, Canada has borne a heavy burden of conservation and the U.S. has reaped a rich reward of increased catches.
"In 1994, instead of dealing with how to reduce the imbalance of catches in favour of the U.S. — valued at $65 million in 1993 — U.S. pro-p o s a 1 s would increase that imbalance to about $100 million," he said.
Tobin said that for too long Canada "has put off 'until next year' standing up to our American friends.
"I'm here to tell you that 'next year' has arrived," he declared.
He emphasized that the U.S. would only consider living up to its obligations under the Treaty "when Canada is willing to say no to more and more American catches of Canadian salmon.
"Unless things change very quickly his year," he warned, "Canada will say no...If there is no agreement with the U.S., there will be a test of resolve.
"No one wants to wipe out vulnerable U.S. salmon stocks. But if need be, we must make clear to the Americans that there are risks for them as well as for us if they fail to live up to their treaty obligations.
"I am here today to tell you that I have heard your call to stand firm," he declared. "I ask you to stand firm with me in the days ahead."
Tobin's stand was backed by a unanimous resolution of the B.C. legislature, introduced by provincial Fisheries Minister David Zirnhelt, which urged the federal government "to take the strongest stand possible with the United States to achieve full implementation of the Pacific Salmon Treaty's core principles The city of Prince Rupert also passed a resolution endorsing the government's stand and encouraging Ottawa to "adopt a fishing plan for the 1994 season that actively protects the Pacific salmon resource and Canadian interests."
Zirnhelt is expected to accompany Tobin on a delegation to Washington, D.C. later this month to take the Treaty issue directly to the U.S. government again.
UFAWU secretary-treasurer Dennis Brown also welcomed Tobin's strong stand, emphasizing that it was necessary to "resist an aggressive U.S. campaign to subvert the principles of the Treaty."
But he cautioned DFO to
• BUD GRAHAM (L), Paul Monlezun, Vancouver South MP Herb Dhaliwal and Dennis Brown listen as UFAWU advisors outline their views on the treaty and fishing plans at a meeting in UFAWU headquarters May 16.
develop its strategy in any fish war carefully, using all the non-fishing weapons at its disposal and making sure that none of the participants takes more than its share of the losses that might result.
UFAWU members from various DFO advisory groups drove that message home clearly when they met at the Maritime Labour Centre May 16 with DFO director of fisheries management Bud Graham, Tobin's special assistant Paul Monlezun and Tobin's parliamentary secretary, Vancouver South Liberal MP Herb Dhaliwal. The meeting was one of several being convened by DFO and Dhaliwal, who was assigned by Tobin earlier this month to consult stakeholders throughout the province.
"UFAWU advisors gave him the message that DFO shouldn't turn our entire fishery upside down — we should stick with our traditional fisheries and stick with our domestic allocations," Brown said.
He noted that some of the fishing plans currently being considered by DFO could totally eliminate Gulf troll opportunities and cut gillnet-
ters' allocation down from some 30-35 per cent to only eight per cent, depending on projections of run sizes and the extent of the diversion rate of Fraser sockeye through Johnstone Straits. The plan would also boost the allocation to the outside troll fleet to 35 per cent and the West Coast seine fleet to more than 50 per cent.
That kind of approach "is custom-made to create internal disunity and therefore defeat the original purpose which is to stand up to U.S. pressure," Brown said.
He also noted that there shouldn't be any "windfall" allocation to any gear group, adding there should be provision for subsequent "payback" should any group harvests an extraordinary share as a result of a Treaty fishing plan. "We shouldn't be using a fish war for re-allocation."
Brown emphasized that the federal government should pursue a number of non-fishing measures which could be effective in putting pressure on the U.S., including:
■ Full enforcement of provisions of the Navigable
Waters Protection Act which allow for inspection of U.S. vessels passing through Canadian waters en route to Alaska;
■ A ban on fishing in Canada by U.S. sports fishers (thousands of whom are expected to flock to B.C. in the wake of closures in Washington and Oregon);
■ No release of Columbia water for U.S. conservation purposes;
■ A ban on the export of unprocessed fish to the U.S.
"Canada should make sure that it's got some visible presence on the coast, too," Brown said. "There should at least be some patrol boats on the A-B line."
Earlier this month, in his capacity as co-chair of the Commercial Fishing Industry Council, Brown outlined a comprehensive proposal for the re-launching of the Salmon for Canada campaign, urging federal government funding to get it underway quickly.
The UFAWU launched the original campaign, together with other industry groups, during a similar Treaty impasse two years ago and won support from city councils in numerous coastal communities for a strong Canadian stand at the negotiating table.
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THE FISHERMAN / MAY 23,1994 • 3