OTTAWA--"The Fisheries Minister's distortion and misrepresentation of the decision striking down the aboriginal commercial fisheries regulations is merely an attempt to play for time. The existing aboriginal commercial fishery is a dead letter," said John Cummins, M.P. (Delta-South Richmond).

"Yesterday Judge Thomas reprimanded DFO lawyers when they implied that the aboriginal commercial fishery regulations might be used again. The law, he cautioned, exists for governments as well as individuals."

In finding Cummins guilty of fishing during a closed time, Judge Thomas held the river was closed for everyone, aboriginal and non-aboriginal alike; that neither DFO nor the Minister of Fisheries had "the right to establish or determine the existence of an aboriginal right to fish for commercial purposes."

Mr. Anderson's rationale for native-only commercial fisheries is at odds with those of John Crosbie the Minister responsible for their imposition. Crosbie described them as a way "to stop the illegal sale of salmon by natives."

Unfortunately the arrogant manner in which Mr. Anderson has announced his intention to continue the illegal native-only commercial fisheries is in keeping with the sordid beginnings of the program as a concession to poachers. It is also a call to anarchy.