The West Coast Trollers Association is pleading with the federal government to release compensation payments to struggling members of the Pacific salmon fleet.
Association president Kathy Scarfo says the U.S. paid $30 million to compensate B.C. fishermen for giving up salmon catches last season.
Scarfo says the association opposed the Canada/U-S deal that cut B.C. catches by 50 per cent, but she says it's unacceptable for the federal government to delay handing out the compensation cash.
A report by marine consultant Edward Lipsett suggests the closures stripped 320 fishermen of any income and have had the harshest impact on small villages such as Winter Harbour, Zeballos and Ahousaht.
