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e-1795 (Fishing industry)

E-petition
Initiated by Kevin Estrada from Chilliwack, British Columbia

Original language of petition: English

Petition to the Government of Canada

Whereas:
  • Gill nets are the most widely used and implemented salmon harvesting tool on the Fraser River by First Nations and commercial fishermen;
  • Sturgeon are frequently and negatively impacted by the non selective nature of gill nets, succumbing to significant physical damage and regular mortality;
  • Fully attended nets provide effective and expeditious release, unharmed, of salmon stocks of concern and sturgeon; and
  • The Department of Fisheries and Oceans promotes gill net use for salmon harvesting and does not provide nor endorse any alternative salmon harvesting techniques, when at this time, environmentally acceptable and sustainable fish harvesting technologies are a necessity for mixed stock salmon fisheries and to reduce sturgeon encounters and subsequent mortalities.
We, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:
1. Encourage, implement and promote alternative sustainable salmon harvesting techniques that will reduce impact on salmon stocks of concern, and reduce and eliminate sturgeon by-catch and their subsequent physical damage and mortality;
2. Provide funding to research and implement sustainable fish harvesting technologies, such as fish wheels, fish traps, and fish-safe seines;
3. Adopt policies and regulations that require gill nets to be fully attended and monitored during entire gill net soak time, while this transition phase of implementation will take time; and
4. Ban all night-time gill net use.
Government response tabled on January 28, 2019 (Sessional Paper No. 8545-421-24-22)
Open for signature
July 27, 2018, at 9:06 a.m. (EDT)
Closed for signature
November 24, 2018, at 9:06 a.m. (EDT)
Presented to the House of Commons
Linda Duncan (Edmonton Strathcona)
December 7, 2018 (Petition No. 421-03052)
Government response tabled
January 28, 2019
Photo - Fin Donnelly
Port Moody—Coquitlam
New Democratic Party Caucus
British Columbia