Evidence of meeting #7 for Fisheries and Oceans in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was heiltsuk.
9:45 a.m.
Representative, Spawn on Kelp Operators Association
No, coast-wide, total allowable catch, or TAC, is allocated to spawn-on-kelp operators.
9:45 a.m.
Conservative
9:45 a.m.
Conservative
John Cummins Conservative Delta—Richmond East, BC
Okay.
I guess the point I'm trying to get to, Don, is that in the beginning, the Heiltsuk had two bands. There was no direction given from the Supreme Court on whether that was sufficient to recognize their section 35 right. Then they were given these seven new licences, or they obtained or acquired seven new licences, in 1997 and 1998. The impact of that, as I understand it, was to drive the price, which had reached $39.40 a pound in 1995, down to $11 in 1998.
Is that roughly correct?
9:45 a.m.
Conservative
John Cummins Conservative Delta—Richmond East, BC
All right.
The Heiltsuk still weren't content, then, with the nine licences they had, and they began a civil action in July of 2000 for more licences. In 2001 the government settled this, and they allowed an additional harvest of 96,000 pounds, the equivalent of six further licences.
Is that correct?
9:45 a.m.
Conservative
John Cummins Conservative Delta—Richmond East, BC
Okay.
So the effect of this addition, even when they had already killed the price, and they allowed for new licences.... The impact of that, plus, as I understand it, some new product coming on the market from Alaska, combined drove the price down to $5 a pound in 2004. Some product was sold for as low as $4 a pound.
9:45 a.m.
Representative, Spawn on Kelp Operators Association
And some haven't been sold, John.
9:45 a.m.
Conservative
John Cummins Conservative Delta—Richmond East, BC
And some haven't been sold.
This past year, the fishery was conducted in, what, March?
9:45 a.m.
Conservative
John Cummins Conservative Delta—Richmond East, BC
I understand that only 14 to 16 of your licence-holders--
9:45 a.m.
Conservative
John Cummins Conservative Delta—Richmond East, BC
So 15 out of now 38 licence-holders fished. How many of those 15 who fished were part of the original licence-holder group?
9:45 a.m.
Conservative
John Cummins Conservative Delta—Richmond East, BC
So 15 out of the original 28 licence-holders fished.
9:45 a.m.
Representative, Spawn on Kelp Operators Association
No, no, some would be bands, but out of the original 28--I'm just guessing, John--it would be about eight or nine. But then there were some bands issued later, and they fished this year, particularly in the Prince Rupert area.
9:45 a.m.
Vice-President, Spawn on Kelp Operators Association
Can I interject something?
9:45 a.m.
Vice-President, Spawn on Kelp Operators Association
I would to like to interject that in February of this year a memorandum of understanding was done, between DFO and Heiltsuk, adding 92,000 pounds, which took in the 332,000 pounds. At the same time that DFO did that, they sent us an election for zero-quota option for 2006 spawn-on-kelp, recognizing that there's a problem in marketing roe-on-kelp this year. We got this zero-quota application before they issued more quota, recognizing that there was already a problem.
9:45 a.m.
Conservative
9:45 a.m.
Vice-President, Spawn on Kelp Operators Association
With our licence application.
9:45 a.m.
Conservative
9:45 a.m.
Vice-President, Spawn on Kelp Operators Association
We got an election form for a zero-quota option.
9:45 a.m.
Conservative
John Cummins Conservative Delta—Richmond East, BC
In other words, you would opt out of fishing this year.
9:45 a.m.
Vice-President, Spawn on Kelp Operators Association
Right, without paying a fee.
