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The latest B.C. First Nation to condemn herring roe harvesting in its territory says it is closing a commercial fishery as it undertakes its own analysis of fish stocks.

The Heiltsuk Nation on B.C.'s Central Coast says it has given the federal government notice that it will not allow the fishery to open this year because stocks are too weak and must rebuild.

It has criticized what it calls "flawed methods" of forecasting herring returns from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and says it is working with its own team of experts to establish an accurate measure.

The Heiltsuk Nation is the latest aboriginal band to speak out in a long-standing battle against the reopening of commercial herring fisheries with warnings of perilously low stock numbers.

The Haida Nation in the remote community of Haida Gwaii recently won an injunction to block a planned fishery, after joining two other First Nations to fight a fishery's reopening last year.

The DFO did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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