Ms. Harvey implies that Burnt Church First Nation should be able to write and operate by its own fisheries policy, without reference to others. While respecting the Marshall decision, I must also respect such principles as conservation and orderly management. Legally and morally, I cannot abandon that responsibility. Ms. Harvey implies that Burnt Church First Nation should be able to issue their own trap tags rather than DFO tags. This is possible but it takes negotiation, to which we are open.
Tags are critical to controlling the fishery and conserving the stock.
Each trap needs to be linked to a licensed fisherman. Without that link, we can t tell how many traps are in the water, or if poachers are engaged in overfishing. Making your own tags with no controls is like printing your own money. Before we accept First Nations trap tags, we have to have clear agreements and tight controls. We are open to those kinds of discussions.