First Nation in Haida Gwaii threatens legal action over herring roe fishery

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HAIDA GWAII (NEWS1130) – A First Nation in Haida Gwaii says it will take legal action if the federal government decides to open a herring roe fishery in its territory.

The Haida Nation says the Department of Fisheries and Oceans is considering opening a large commercial fishery this year in the community on the north coast.

Haida Nation president Peter Lantin says herring stocks have not rebuilt enough to support the opening, saying department’s management process flawed.

The First Nation has declared the fishery closed, saying it can’t be harvested safely.

A year ago, the Haida joined two other First Nations to oppose a plan to open a commercial herring fishery that had been closed on Vancouver Island since 2006.

Last March, a Federal Court judge granted an injunction stopping the opening, saying the fisheries minister went against the advice of scientists in her own department.

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