Federal government needs to do more to address issues facing First Nations: advocate

As Canada marks National Indigenous Peoples Day on Saturday, the First Nation Wild Salmon Alliance says more needs to be done to address some of the issues facing Indigenous people in B.C.

Alliance chair Bob Chamberlin says that as much as the annual celebration highlights efforts made towards Reconciliation, it also acts as a day to acknowledge challenges that still exist.

“Food security for First Nations is something that’s critically important in challenging financial times like we’re facing,” Chamberlin said.

“I’m thinking the government needs to step up and continue to protect, here in British Columbia, wild salmon.”

Chamberlin says we need to have a path forward that will accomplish Reconciliation and not just reflect it. However, he thinks the government is sort of hamstrung in terms of what it is willing to do to rock the status quo.

“You know, I think about Prime Minister Carney’s comments about nation-building, well, certainly salmon is something that would do that here in British Columbia,” he said.

“I think it’s important that this government and Canadians know that the vast majority of First Nations in British Columbia have participated in the process of the transition planning, and have certainly made it very clear that they prefer to see safety of wild salmon over the economic opportunity of open-net pen fish farms.”

The federal government has announced the ban on open-net pen salmon farming would be in place by 2029.