Plan To Track Subsistence Fishing Criticized

Plan To Track Subsistence Fishing Criticized

Thursday, July 08, 2010 at 14:55

 

 

A Metis citizen in Pinehouse says he doesn’t think a plan by the provincial government to record subsistence fishing numbers is a good idea.

 

Last month, the province released its new fisheries management plan.

 

Part of the plan calls for the province to try and get a better idea of how many fish are being taken for sustenance purposes by Aboriginal fishers.

 

Vince Natomagan is a board member of the Kineepik Metis Local.

 

Natomagan says, on the surface, the idea seems innocent enough.

 

But he wonders why the government wants to know that information, and where it could potentially lead.

 

Natomagan maintains it is not the government’s business to count the fish Aboriginal people consume.

 

He adds there have been frequent examples of tourists getting caught with more fish than is allowed, and he believes that is an area that deserves more attention.