Aboriginal Fishery Strategy (AFS)

In 1990, the Supreme Court of Canada issued a land mark ruling in the Sparrow decision. The decision defined Aboriginal people’s right to fish for Food, Social and Ceremonial purposes.

The Aboriginal right to fish for a Food, Social and Ceremonial purpose is a constitutionally protected right and is the first priority after conservation.

To ensure stable fishery management, Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) launched The Aboriginal Fisheries Strategy in 1992 to assist in managing fisheries consistent with the Sparrow decision of the Supreme Court of Canada, but included other elements.

The AFS seeks to provide for the effective management and regulation of the aboriginal fishery and ensures that the aboriginal right to fish is respected, through negotiation of mutually acceptable and time-limited Fisheries Agreement/arrangement between DFO and Aboriginal groups. Where agreement/arrangement cannot be reached, DFO will issue a communal fishing licence to the groups allowing them to fish for Food, Social and Ceremonial purposed.

Treat the earth well:

It was not given to you by your parents; it was loaned to you by your children.
We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.
We are more than the sum of our knowledge; we are the products of our imagination.

Anonymous