264 OVtRVIIW 



bone o( the nalivc IikIi.im IihkI siippK arul 

 was .in early ami lasting mainstav of the coii)- 

 nial and provincial caniomv. Salmon was 

 then and is now an important and fascinating 

 marine resource. 



TiKlay main British Ciilumbians continue to 

 earn their living tishing or in tishmg-related 

 work. Others are joining a growing number of 

 people who are deix-ndcnt on the recreational 

 fishery which attracts hundreds of thousands 

 of resident fishermen and tounsts seeking 

 their sporting pleasure in the salmon sports 

 fishery. 



>'et today we are discussing the fishery as 

 thiHigh this valuable and renewable resource, 

 this part of our culture, could disappear. We 

 regard it as being in serious peril and we 

 routinely speak of the "crisis" of the fishing 

 industry.' 



My investigations suggest that this anxiety is justified 

 and, as this report indicates, substantial policy changes 

 are needed. 



This inquiry has been held at a diflncult time for the 

 fisheries. The generally depressed economic conditions, 

 high interest rates and rising costs, which have affected 

 all industries, have aggravated the underlying structural 

 problems of the fishing industry. Sport fishermen's and 

 Indians" anxieties about their access to fish are unprece- 



dcnii-il I Ik-sc coikIiIiiiiis not only exacerbate apprehen- 

 sions about policy changes, but also force recognition ot 

 the need. 



Ihis inquiry is being held at an appropriate 

 time. We now have a declining resource base, 

 overcapitalization in the catching and pro- 

 cessing segments of the industry, reduced 

 world market prices for seafood products, 

 and increasing pressure on the resource from 

 the numerous u.ser groups.'' 



This is, therefore, not a time for complacency; the 

 fishing community is ready to consider new directions. 



Above all else that comes out of this process, 

 Mr. Commissioner, we hope that there at 

 least comes an understanding by all partici- 

 pants that the resource is in trouble. We are 

 all part of the problem and we must all be 

 part of the solution.^ 



As the western Canadian poet Sarah Binks urged on 

 "the .sailor who puts to sea when the wind is right,"'' so 

 the government should be encouraged to initiate fisheries 

 reform. 



If the government seizes the present opportunity to 

 start the process of reform, building on the consultative 

 process that this Commission has initiated, I believe it 

 will be possible to reverse the current adverse trends and 

 begin to realize the rich potential of our Pacific fisheries 

 resources. 



FOOTNOTES 



1. Association of Professional Biologists of British Columbia. Exhibit 

 «%. p. 5. 



2. Fishenes A.ssociation of British Columbia, Exhibit #63, p. 34. 



3. New Democratic Party Caucus. Exhibit # 136, p. 1. 



4. The Pacific Gillnetters Association, Exhibit #70, p. 3. 



5. B.C. Wildlife Federation, Exhibit # 144. p. 49. 



6. Paul Hiebert. Sarah Binks . McClelland and Stewart Limited. 

 Toronto. 1964. p. 137. 



