Treaty negotiations aren't slow, they're stopped without fish on the table

Recent headlines call on BC and Canada to speed up negotiations or shut ‘em down. However, nothing is going to happen without fish on the table.

Momentum for concluding treaty negotiations in BC ground to a halt when the Federal Treaty Negotiating Office (FTNO) declared here that “...negotiation of fisheries components at treaty tables that involve salmon be deferred, pending the potential adoption of new policy approaches informed by the findings and recommendations of the Cohen Inquiry.”  The deadline for the Cohen Commission final report was extended until June 30, 2012. Depending on how fast “new policy approaches” are formulated, Final Agreement negotiations on fish may not even begin until 2013. There is some hope, though.

Yale, Sliammon, and In-SHUCK-ch tables were granted exemptions from the deferral. Sechelt First Nation doesn’t appear to be negotiating. Yale ratified its treaty and is awaiting settlement legislation. Sliammon negotiations are over, leaving the In-SHUCK-ch and Yekooche tables as the only viable contenders to reach a final agreement. If BC and Canada can deliver on In-SHUCK-ch economic issues reported here, then there is hope the In-SHUCK-ch treaty in the near future.