Mr. Speaker, a stated objective of the fisheries minister's plan for revitalizing the commercial salmon fishery in B.C. is to reduce the size of the commercial fleet by 50 per cent. Eliminating 50 per cent of the fleet will do absolutely nothing to improve the economics of fishing if at the same time the fleet's catch is reduced by one-half, and that is what is happening.
For example, last summer, the native's share of the commercial catch on the Fraser River under the aboriginal fishing strategy increased to over 50 per cent of the fish caught. With the Nisga'a soon to be guaranteed by treaty 27 per cent of the Nass River production and at least two other Nass bands yet to settle, the native allocation on the Nass will easily exceed 50 per cent of the catch. Allocations of this magnitude will be repeated coastwide as more than 40 treaties are concluded.
It is readily apparent that the downsizing of the fleet by one-half which will occur under the minister's plan has only been prescribed to accommodate increased allocations to native only fisheries under treaties and aboriginal fishing arrangements.