Fisheries committee  Absolutely. It would give us the opportunity, and we'll translate that for you.

Fisheries committee  They provide it through the integrated fisheries management plans and the Pacific Salmon Treaty, but it has always provided challenges, mostly because first nations, as I mentioned in my opening comments, are considered advisers with the stakeholders versus decision-makers. In those general terms, we're only, as first nations, making recommendations to either the minister or those who are at the Pacific Salmon Commission and the Pacific Salmon Treaty.

Fisheries committee  The answer's no for the lower Fraser, but we'd love to implement and support the DFO officers, who I believe are under-resourced themselves. There's not an opportunity for them to fully enforce the lower Fraser and other territories.

Fisheries committee  Thank you for the question. We do it regularly through the integrated fisheries management plans. We submit papers upon papers and pages of recommendations. They're rarely responded to effectively in terms of our interests to conserve and protect the fish, and also our access for food, social and ceremonial, and economic opportunities.

Fisheries committee  Unfortunately not. There was an organization called the Lower Fraser Fisheries Authority in the early 1990s, which was afforded aboriginal fisheries officers, or AFOs. Unfortunately, the government decided to take that program away. There wasn't enough funding or political will to continue to support it.

Fisheries committee  I think what you're asking is whether or not the Department of Fisheries and Oceans' enforcement understands our inherent rights and obligations, and I would say no. That will take some time in terms of educating and bringing enough awareness. I think there's some interest there, but the answer is no.

Fisheries committee  No. Currently, there are approximately 30 first nations participants. They're not all aboriginal, but they contribute the aboriginal interests. Frankly, they're funded about $185,000 annually for their operations to convene at two of the annual Pacific Salmon Commission meetings, so that in itself doesn't provide the capacity necessary for nations to participate effectively.

Fisheries committee  I can't articulate that with good clarity right now, but I'm certain we can do that work with either the Canadian caucus of the Pacific Salmon Commission or with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. As an indigenous person, I wish I could grapple with those numbers right now, but I would have to work with our Department of Fisheries and Oceans and salmon commission colleagues.

Fisheries committee  I'll try to be brief. I have a lot of DFO colleagues who have a genuine interest in protecting salmon, so I'll start with that. However, I think the structures that I shared with you have been not very conducive to protecting salmon. I'm talking about the integrated fisheries management plans.

Fisheries committee  Absolutely. That's what the Pacific Salmon Commission was established for. That's what the Department of Fisheries and Oceans was established for. They can provide those statistics. I didn't want to bore you with those in my speech. I could have put those together for you, and I'm willing to do that for you if you like.

Fisheries committee  I believe so, but there has to be political will between Canada and the U.S. and Alaskan fisheries to make change and make conservation a priority over interception of those fish, while trying to target others that are getting bycatch. There is a significant interest and concern there.

Fisheries committee  There's a pretty large context of regulation and legalities under the Pacific Salmon Treaty. Each decade, there's an opportunity to negotiate the Pacific Salmon Treaty. Because there are five or six chapters to be negotiated, the challenge is the trade-off between the chapters and the specific species.

Fisheries committee  Good afternoon, Mr. Chair and everybody. Thank you for having me. My name is Murray Ned, executive director for the Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance. My ancestral name is Kwilosintun, and I'm a member of Sumas First Nation. Our organization provides advocacy and technical support related to fish, fisheries and fish habitat to 30 first nations along the lower Fraser River in British Columbia.

Fisheries committee  I'm not sure I understood your question completely, but I'm going to try. In terms of the space that's required, the first thing I would say and share out with everybody is that first nations have been displaced from the ability to manage for over 150 years in their territories, so “we're renewing our interest” is maybe a good way of trying to describe how we want to move forward in terms of how to manage the resource moving forward.

Fisheries committee  Yes, thank you, and you did pretty well with the pronunciation of Kwilosintun. I think most nations are starting their path forward in terms of UNDRIP implementation, and sometimes we have to wait for government ministries, like DFO, to begin implementing it. We can't wait too long, especially with the decline of salmon.