The province announced Monday it is appealing the B.C. Supreme Court ruling that granted the Cowichan Nation title to large swaths of southeast Richmond and fishing rights in the Fraser River.

“We feel that this decision has significant legal issues, and we believe that those legal issues must be reconsidered on appeal,” Attorney General Niki Sharma said. “This case is an example of why the province prefers to resolve land claims through negotiation — where we can protect property rights directly — rather than risk considerable uncertainty through court decisions.”

Justice Barbara Young made the ruling following the longest trial in Canadian history, with 513 trial days over almost four years. At issue was 7½ square kilometres of southeastern Lulu Island and another two-thirds of a squar

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