6 — Wednesday, February 4, 1998 — North Shore News north shore news Fair fishing native-only commercial fishery makes no sense. That reality, hich has been obvious to non-native fisherman for years, has finally been recognized by the federal courts. In a case involving crusading Reform MP John Cummins, federal court Judge Howard Thomas said he could find no reference in the Fisheries Act or any where else that empowered the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to authorize a native-only commercial fishery. Cummins was in court to face charges of fishing during a closed iod. . Closed to non-native fishermen, tixat is. Cummins openly opposed the native-only commercial fishery by fishing during native-only salmon _ Openings and was charged in 1996. And while he was convicted of defying the DFO regulations, the finding by Judge Thomas is a victory for Cummins and all fishermen who want a fair commercial fishery. Not one based along racial lines. Few would argue against a native food fishery, but there is no legal precedent and no justification for a native-only commercial fishery. Salmon stocks are in serious jeop- ardy of collapse. There is a need for ali sides in the fishing industry to address the issue or there will be no sides left because there will be no fish left. Basing a fishery on the racial back- ground of a user group is short-sight- ed and provocative. It divides fisher- mien rather than promoting unity in a battle that is far more important than which user group gets what: the battle to save fish stocks from extinction. ———— yPERBAN BANKING OPTIONS mailbox Cable monopcly’s antics wearing thin Dear Editor: ; I have just received an information pamphlet from Rogers Cable in which they advise me that their rate for my Cable Plus Combo will increase from $9.75 to $11.99 per month. Of course they are offering me their new MeTV package at a reduced rate for one year in a thinly veiled attempt to ~ blackmail me into taking their new channels. This will mean that the total cost for their packages over and above the basic cable service will be $15.74 per month until Feb. 23, 1999. - . Then the cost will rise to $22.98 per month. I have a bettér idea. I’m going to drop my Cable Plus - option and go back to having basic cable. At least the basic cable rate is protected bythe CRTC and there are no . increases-there. Perhaps if more people did this Rogers would learn that having'a monopoly doesn’t mean that the public. won’t get tired of their antics. Money appears to be all that they. understand. James Clancy . North Vancouver: | clancy@lightspeed.be.ca* This Bell has no LGH beef Dear Editor: . Regarding the Jan. 16 article by Trevor Lautens. Is there some way to let friend and foe know I am sot the Peggy Bell mentioned in the story, Better health through joylessness? I was in Lions Gate Hospital for surgery from Jan. 15 to 18, and I found my nurses, aides and helpers most obliging, cheerful and kind. In fact the whole thing, surgery and all, was perfect. Louise Bell North Vancouver uwnorth shore Neth Store News, founded in 1969 2s an ‘suburban newspaper and quakbed independent under Schedule 111, Paragraph 111 of the Excise Tix Act, is publsshed each Wednesday, SHORT of things to worry about again? Here comes your ever-willing helper once more — this time with the MAI, which some 98% of Canadians have never heard of. If you value your - standard of living and your democratic rights, you'll be doing yourself a favor to learn about it fast, especially as Jean Chretien and Paul Martin scem in no hurry to teach you. The initials stand for Multilateral Agreement on Investment — a deal being cooked up over the past three years in Paris by the 29 economical- ly advanced nations forming the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). It’s due to be signed into effect this coming May. Called by its supporters “a constitu- tion for the globaj economy,” the MAI basically requires all investors to be treat- ed equally in all 29 OECD countries. That may at first sound like corporate motherhood until you consider the impli- cations in relation to national policies. Taking Canada merely as one example, the practical effects of the draft treaty’s rules range from startling to intolerable. First, they mean we could never again provide programs and subsidies benefit- ing only Canadian companies and indus- tries. Nor could we guarantee that any Crown: corporations, public uulities or other government enterprises that were PETER SPECK Publisher 985-2731 (101) 905-2131 (177) ‘nol privatized would remain in Canadian hands. ‘They would have to be offered for sale to investors from any of the MAI countries. fa short, we'd have no veto over what foreign investors bought and controlled in Canada. There © would be nothing to stop our cultural indus- tries, our energy sector and even much of our health care system from being swallowed up by transnational corpora- tions able to outbid Canadian investors. It gets worse. Under the MAI Canada would be powerless to impose any special condi- tions because of the human rights record (c.g., child slave labor) of the investor’s home country or because of the investor’s own environmental sins. Requiring foreign investors to buy parts and services from local companies, or mect specific job creation targets for local workers, would also be prohibited. Moreover, the MAI would entitle for- eign corporations to suc their host gov- ernment — before an international panel offering no right of appeal — for any loss of property or added costs caused by laws or policies later introduced by that gov- ernment. Finally, MAI countries will be locked in for 20 years (it takes only six months notice to quit NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement). Welcome to “globalization” with the mask removed! What the MAI in its purest form demands is that hitherto vital functions of the democratic nation-state LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters must include your name, full address & telephone number. APPARENTLY, WHEN (T COMES TO SCREWING THE CONSUMER... SIZE DOES MATTER! |} — Send a MAI-Day call for Canada in the interests of all its citizens must now be subjugated to the bottom-line inter- ests of non-accountable transnational cor- porations driven solely by greed. Laws favoring Canadians in terms of jobs, health and the environment must be dis- couraged, or even repealed, in order to maximize dividends for faceless share- holders in some distant land. It may not be quite as bad_as that, of course. Canada is reportedly secking a long list of exemptions and the May 1998 signing date, already a year late, may be: postponed once again. But remembering - Chretien’s unfulfilled promises about NAFTA, the secrecy with which Ottawa has been negotiating for three years on issues so vitally affecting Canadian lives is, to say the least, disturbing... a Under the Constitution, Ortawa can. sign the agreement but can’t enforce it on the provinces unless they consent. So if you dislike the sound of the MAI, your-.. best bet is to pressure Victoria to seek a‘. ° court injunction against ir, pending a full... national debate followed by a binding - national referendum. After all, you’ve nothing to lose but your job, medicare, clean water and your cultural identity! 990 HAPPY BIRTHDAY Saturday, Feb. 7, to West Van’s Rachel Jeanne Wardell ... And many happy returns of that same day to West Van Kiwanis birthday boy Larry Coles. 900 WRIGHT OR WRONG: Never aska guestion to which you don’t want to hear the answer. oO ~ iN OWRTOTRESC HENS; Administration © 985-2131 Display Advertising 960-0511 Real Estate Advertisieg VIA e-mail: trenshaw @ direct.ca Comptrolter 985-2131 (133) 06-1337 885-1495 985-2104 95-3227 Dispizy & Real Estate Fax Rewsroom Fax Classified, Accounting & Main Office Fax Michoel Beckes - Mews Editor 985-2731 (114) Andrew McCredie - 985-2131 (147) Promotions General Oice Marager 05-2131 (21% 905-2131 (165) taterset- http://wurw.esnews.com , ‘Creative Services Manager Fal 908-1337 (120) 905-2135 (127) 61,582 (average citcutation. Wednesday, Friday & Sunday) Photography Display Maras 905-2131 (158) 900-0511 (188) Estire contents © 1897 Nesth Shore Free Press Ltd. All rights reserved. Classified Manager 906-6272 (287) wnity Exitor