North Vancouver, BC — Leaders of the First Nations Summit are urging the provincial and federal governments to maintain their respective moratoriums on offshore oil and gas exploration in BC following today’s report from the Offshore Oil and Gas Scientific Panel.
Coastal First Nations are extremely concerned about potential impacts within their traditional territories resulting from offshore oil and gas exploration. “First Nations hold aboriginal rights and title to the sea-bed and subsoil off the coast of British Columbia,” said Gerald D. Wesley, a member of the Summit’s political executive and Chief Negotiator for the Tsimshian Nation.
“We will not agree with the lifting of the moratoriums unless there is an independent assessment completed that addresses the environmental, legal, economic and cultural impacts of offshore oil and gas exploration and development.”