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e-2342 (Fisheries)

E-petition
Initiated by Catherine Gray from Hornby Island, British Columbia

Original language of petition: English

Petition to the Government of Canada

Whereas:
  • The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) announced that the Pacific herring population dropped by approximately 1/3 between 2016 and 2019, and will drop by more than 50% by 2020;
  • The unexpected drop in the herring population has led to overfishing of existing stock;
  • Pacific herring is the basis of the food web that supports salmon, killer and humpback whales, cod and halibut, seabirds and other independent species on the Pacific Coast; and
  • First Nations have constitutionally protected rights to herring which are an important food source and an integral part of First Nations cultures.
We, the undersigned, residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:
1. Suspend the 2020 Salish Sea herring fishery until a whole ecosystem plan is developed;
2. Fairly compensate fishers for economic losses; and
3. Ensure that decisions are made with the full participation of First Nations and local communities.
Open for signature
December 13, 2019, at 10:27 a.m. (EDT)
Closed for signature
March 12, 2020, at 10:27 a.m. (EDT)
Photo - Gord Johns
Courtenay—Alberni
New Democratic Party Caucus
British Columbia
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