DFO Management Debate

DFO's management plan a conflict of interest

Courier-Islander

Published: Wednesday, January 13, 2010

I recently attended the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) meeting to discuss new aquaculture regulations. A five-year plan was presented that speaks of expansion, markets and profits. The DFO should be a regulatory and enforcement body. Concern with industry markets, promotion and economic growth is a conflict of interest.

The plan discusses eco-certificates to meet market demand, but open net fish farms use Slice, transfer sea lice to smolts, have disease and impact depleted wild stocks such as herring through what is termed by-catch. How are they "eco" anything?

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An uncertain fisheries future

Jeremy Maynard, Courier-Islander

Published: Wednesday, January 13, 2010

With the start of the second decade of the 21st century one thing is abundantly clear when considering fisheries management along the coast of BC - the only certainty is uncertainty. Perhaps it was always so to some degree but the past two decades have seen the relative constants from the past in this field of endeavor diminish to the point where they frequently bear little resemblance to past benchmarks upon which future actions could be planned around.

During this state of flux the management of the recreational fishery continues to be a perpetual challenge, all the more so because of one of the characterizations of it in comparison with other fisheries - "The recreational fishery is always open unless otherwise closed and commercial fisheries are always closed unless otherwise opened".

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