As the federal government reviews the Fisheries Act, two North Coast B.C. residents flew to Ottawa to present how they think the act should be improved.

There are eight key areas to Bill C-68 and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples is listed as number two.

John Helin, mayor of the Lax KwB次元官网网址檃laams Band near Prince Rupert, painted a grim picture of his Indigenous community as he spoke to the Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans B次元官网网址� how members are struggling to make a living, and his experience with fisheries enforcement officers B次元官网网址渞acially profilingB次元官网网址� members.

B次元官网网址淲e have a fleet of 70-80 gillnetters that canB次元官网网址檛 make a living anymore fishing for salmon. We have a fish plant in my community that at its peak, employs up 100 members in the village and weB次元官网网址檙e having a lot of challenges keeping that operation going,B次元官网网址� Helin said.

To keep the fish plant going, theyB次元官网网址檝e diversified by processing groundfish, but he said with all the other fisheries coming into the area, theyB次元官网网址檝e lost an opportunity.

B次元官网网址淭here was a herring fishery in our day in the 70s and 80s, a seine herring fishery, and it wiped out that fish. To this day, that stock doesnB次元官网网址檛 come back. So herring is a staple, not just for people, but for other fish in the sea that feed off herring. So itB次元官网网址檚 alarming to us when DFO allows one guy to go out fishing and everyone else agrees to tie up,B次元官网网址� Helin said.

Helin said the band wants to sign a comprehensive fisheries agreement with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, but had never done so since losing a fisheries case. He said itB次元官网网址檚 resulted in members being targeted on the water.

B次元官网网址淚t got so bad where one of the fisheries enforcement guys boarded my sonB次元官网网址檚 boat, he was fishing my boat, and he had his 10-year-old kid on the boat, and this guy pulls his gun on the deck of my sonB次元官网网址檚 boat without provocation. That went to court and it was tossed out. That shows how weB次元官网网址檙e treated in our own traditionally territory,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淲hen you talk about reconciliation, consultation, theyB次元官网网址檙e just empty words for us. So hopefully coming before committees like this, we can make the improvements that we want.B次元官网网址�

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Earlier in the day, third-generation fisherwoman, fisheries biologist and Prince Rupert resident Chelsey Ellis presented her suggested amendments to Bill C-68, saying more and more licenses and quota are being transferred from fishermen and away from coastal communities.

B次元官网网址淔or the few young fish harvesters trying to persevere, itB次元官网网址檚 getting harder to earn a living and find a safe, reliable and professional crew to work with,B次元官网网址� Ellis said, adding young people are not joining the industry because they donB次元官网网址檛 see a future in it.

She called for measures to prioritize and incentivize licenses and quota for B次元官网网址渢hose taking the risks and working long hard hoursB次元官网网址� to harvest Canadian seafood, and the promotion of independence of owner-operator enterprises within all commercial fisheries.

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