Below is an article published by Opinion 250 News:

The BC Treaty Commission says it is concerned with an extension to the commission investigating the collapse of the Fraser River sockeye.

Justice Bruce Cohen has been given an extra 14 months to find out what happened to the run and suggests changes to make the fishery more sustainable. That means the federal government won’t likely see any of Cohen’s suggestions until the end of June, 2012. The catch is Ottawa has said that Aboriginal treaty fishing rights can’t be finalized until it gets Cohen’s report.

BC Treaty Commission head Sophie Pierre says the delay leaves First Nations close to an agreement-in-principle in limbo and undermines the credibility of the treaty process. Pierre says the extension also creates some serious financial concerns for the six nations close to a deal. 

The issue is debt. Pierre says the more time spent at the bargaining table with the federal and provincial negotiators, the more the red ink adds up. She says some First Nations are teetering at the point where any cash settlement negotiated at the treaty table will be less than the debt racked up during the process.

The BC Treaty Commission says two of the First Nations currently close to an agreement in principle are from the north, including the Tsimshian and the Yekooche.

It’s not known what financial impact the Cohen Commission extension will have on the two.