O.F.A.H. calls on Minister to initiate public meetings and release information on native fisheries agreement

O.F.A.H. calls on Minister to initiate public meetings and release information on native fisheries agreement

The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (O.F.A.H.) has sent a letter to Natural Resources Minister David Ramsay, calling on him to immediately direct his negotiating team to meet with local O.F.A.H. member clubs in the Owen Sound and Wiarton area, and the general public, to hear their concerns and share information with them regarding the ongoing talks with the Saugeen/Cape Croker First Nations.

“The lack of information on this issue is unacceptable,” said John Ford, O.F.A.H. President. “Despite the fact that a number of O.F.A.H. head office staff have spent months working on this file, the Ministry refuses to be forthcoming about the status of the negotiations. This has resulted in numerous rumors about what is and is not in the new deal for the Lake Huron native commercial fishery. The Ministry’s refusal to share information and be up-front with local fish and conservation clubs, and the public, has created an air of mistrust. The Minister should take steps to correct this and direct his staff to sit down with local stakeholders to hear our views and give us some idea of what is going on.”

Negotiations toward a new agreement with the Saugeen/Cape Croker First Nations have being taking place since the last formal agreement expired at the end of 2003. The O.F.A.H. only recently learned of the existence of an interim agreement that was put into place for 2004, while the negotiations over a longer-term agreement continued.

“The Ministry’s agreement to a secret interim deal is typical of what we have come to expect on this issue. They need to remember that over the last two decades, local clubs have spent thousands of man-hours and poured huge amounts of money into the running of hatcheries and stocking programs on Lake Huron. Sport fishing contributes almost $5 billion to the provincial economy each year, but if not for the efforts of local clubs, there would not be a sport fishery in this area. The Ministry’s mandate is to protect fish and wildlife resources for all users, but in this case, local anglers and angling clubs seem to have been forgotten in the process. All of our hard work could be in jeopardy if the government agrees to a deal that could threaten the existence of these same fish stocks, and we expect the Ministry to listen to us and make sure our concerns are heard,” noted Mr. Ford.

-30-