OTTAWA--"In its Report on the East Coast fishery, the Fisheries Committee was thorough in its analysis and passionate in its recommendations," said John Cummins, M.P. (Delta-South Richmond). "Unfortunately its Report on the state of the West Coast fishery is surprising in its omissions and less than precise in its recommendations."

The key management issue concerning West Coast fishermen is separate native-only commercial fisheries. Salmon fishermen fear an expansion of the existing native-only commercial fisheries to other areas on the coast while black cod, geoduck and other fishermen fear a re-allocation of a portion of their quotas to separate native commercial fisheries.

The Committee noted that it "heard widespread opposition to the aboriginal-only commercial fishery" but only managed to urge the government to "address the concerns of fishermen" regarding this matter before introducing a new Fisheries Act in Parliament.

Where are the tough recommendations characteristic of the East Coast Report, recommendations that demanded heads roll in the Department? Where's the passionate call for an end to a fishery that both the Supreme Court of Canada and Provincial Court Judge Howard Thomas have found lacks legal validity?

The Report offers band-aid solutions to a handful of the problems facing West Coast fishermen but fails to clearly address the most contentious issue of the last six years on the West Coast -- the native-only commercial fishery.

Was the Committee not aware of the illegality of this fishery and the havoc it has caused? Were they not aware of the countless demonstrations against this illegal fishery since 1992? Were they not aware that fishermen are still being charged for participating in protest fisheries even though the courts have found the fishery to be illegal?

Was the Committee not aware that the average Fraser River gillnetter caught about 2100 fish worth roughly $15,000 last summer and that the million fish caught in an illegal fishery created by the Minister took 1500 fish worth about $11,000 from each and every Fraser River gillnetter?