Mr. Speaker, the Nisga'a land claims negotiations in northwest British Columbia apparently include a Nass River aboriginal commercial fishery allocation.
This flies in the face of the five aboriginal fisheries cases currently being argued before the Supreme Court. The provincial aboriginal affairs minister in B.C. has stated that whatever the results of these cases, commercial fishing must not be entrenched in B.C. treaties.
What continues to motivate the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans to promote inclusion of a racially based commercial fishery in B.C. treaties?