Reconciliation in fisheries must be strengthened — not weakened through federal cuts – Canada’s National Observer

March 10, 2026

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) might be at the brink of transformative change. After a long history of colonial approaches to fisheries management, the department is signalling a willingness to become more inclusive of Indigenous Peoples and their knowledge.

“We’ve been waiting 150 years for this,” our colleague Doug Neasloss, stewardship director of the Kitasoo Xai’xais First Nation, often states when discussing these matters with DFO’s executive leadership. His words encapsulate the outcome of hard work and goodwill by many people from Indigenous communities and DFO. The moment is worth celebrating. Yet it is also at risk of a potential backslide that could ensue from workforce reductions in the federal public service by the Liberal government. This risk must be mitigated.

Read More: https://www.nationalobserver.com/2026/03/10/opinion/indigenous-reconciliation-fisheries-canada-cuts