Five West Coast First Nations signed a new deal with the federal government this week to give them more say over managing local fisheries.
They signed an Incremental Reconciliation Agreement for Fisheries Resources, which will provide two years of funding to work together on managing shared fisheries resources. It also provides funding to increase commercial fishing access, build capacity, and build a community-based economic fishery plan.
Cliff Atleo, lead negotiator for the Ahousaht Nation, says they have been working for a long time to convince Fisheries and Oceans Canada to take the right steps and support them in rebuilding their fishery. He says the nations look forward to collaborating with DFO to re-establish sustainable fisheries and build a renewed relationship with Canada.
