Province Welcomes Court Clarification

The province welcomes clarification of the Supreme Court of Canada decision in the Donald Marshall Jr. fishing case, said Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Ernest Fage.

The minister said the high court's decision today not to revisit its September ruling upholding native fishing rights should be helpful in defining new guidelines in the fishery.

Mr. Fage said the decision reinforces the right of federal and provincial governments to regulate their respective jurisdictions within the fishery.

"Now, we must continue to push to get more answers to the questions that the Marshall decision has raised," Mr. Fage said.

Questions such as "what is a moderate living" and "who are the beneficiaries of this decision" still need to be answered, said Mr. Fage.

The minister added that the province has always believed there must be one fish management authority and that authority is the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. He said today's clarification by the Supreme Court should help the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and other stakeholders to move towards more answers.

Mr. Fage again stated that implementing the treaty rights should not damage the existing industry, that the fishery can't be expanded by issuing new licences and that the federal government should be responsible for all costs of implementing the Marshall decision.