Nisga'a sign offshore deal with B.C.

It appears the B.C. government has a new ally in its effort to have the longstanding moratorium lifted on offshore offshore oil and gas exploration.

• FROM MARCH 1, 2005: B.C. lobbying for offshore drilling, again

The Nisga'a First Nation in northwestern B.C. has struck a deal with the province to obtain more information about offshore exploration.

The president of the Nisga'a Lisims Government, Nelson Leeson, said Tuesday his people have never been against development; they just want it done in a safe and environmentally sound way.

• LINK: Government announcement of deal

Leeson says Nisga'a leaders haven't formed an opinion yet on whether drilling should go ahead. But he says they are always interested in new economic opportunities.

"We need to find ways and means to start developing an economic base that's going to pull us out of the situation we find ourselves in now," he said. "The fisheries is down and the forestry is down and we need to find ways and means to start building that economic base."

As part of the agreement, the Nisga'a will receive $283,000 from Victoria to organize workshops, conduct surveys and take a fact-finding trip to Alaska.

• FROM APRIL 7, 2004: Haida boycott offshore drilling hearing

It's a very different position from that of the neighbouring Haida Nation on the Queen Charlotte Islands, who oppose offshore development. The Haida fear the impact of offshore development on their traditional lifestyle and have vowed to fight it.

Leeson says he respects the views of the Haida. But he also says in this case, the Nisga'a have decided to get involved and work with the province.

"We have a treaty and it's constitutionally protected. So any time any development is going to come down, if it has any impact on any of our citizens, or the nation as a whole, because of the treaty, we need to be consulted and we need to be involved."

There has been a federal moratorium on offshore oil and gas drilling along the B.C. coast since the early 1970s.

• LINK: British Columbia Offshore Oil and Gas Division