Fisheries Committee on May 30th, 2012
Evidence of meeting #40 for Fisheries and Oceans in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was species.
A recording is available from Parliament.
On the agenda
MPs speaking
Also speaking
- Sarah Bailey Research Scientist, Central and Arctic Region, Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatics Sciences, Burlington, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
- Nick Mandrak Research Scientist, Central and Arctic Region, Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatics Sciences, Burlington, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
- Becky Cudmore Senior Science Advisor, Central and Arctic Region, Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatics Sciences, Burlington, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
4:20 p.m.
Liberal
Lawrence MacAulay Cardigan, PE
So if the education program is working, then, that's where you think we should go?
I think I'm near the end of my line.
4:20 p.m.
Voices
Oh, oh!
4:20 p.m.
Conservative
May 30th, 2012 / 4:25 p.m.
NDP
Philip Toone Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you for the presentation. I'd like to follow up a bit on where Bryan Hayes was going with his question about what's next.
I'm interested in the part of your mandate that is to help prevent the introduction and the establishment of invasive species. Environment Canada, in the recent budget, cut the invasive alien species partnership program. It's gone. So how do we do that outreach? There seem to be now barriers to that outreach.
I'll name a few groups that no longer have funding regarding invasive species: the Conseil québécois sur les espèces exotiques envahissantes, the Magdalen Islands priority intervention zone committee, the Great Lakes United invasive plant watch network, the Ontario Invasive Plant Council. We've cut them all off.
We have some research, and I understand that you're able to facilitate the prevention or at least the establishment of invasive species, but we're also cutting back on the very partners that could help us in controlling those invasive species.
What is next? We don't seem to have those connections anymore. How are we getting those boots on the ground?
4:25 p.m.
Senior Science Advisor, Central and Arctic Region, Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatics Sciences, Burlington, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Thank you. I appreciate that question and can understand the issues there.
Each department is required to do an operational review and align their resources to priority areas. For DFO, the protection of native species for the Great Lakes is a priority. Working on prevention of the establishment of aquatic invasive species in the Great Lakes aligns with that mandate. For DFO, working with our partners is absolutely essential. That is how we've always done our work and how we plan to continue to do our work.
For Environment Canada, I can't really comment on the decisions made there. For DFO, we do want to continue to work with our partners. We can't do the work we've done, the good work we've done, without them.
4:25 p.m.
NDP
Philip Toone Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC
I appreciate that, but I'm still perplexed. It's not clear where that connection is now going to be made. Some of the information you had translated to Environment Canada. There's a lot of overlap. It's not a completely distinct organization. When people require assistance regarding invasive species, they will go to Environment Canada based on the information you provided. You're now still in a position to provide some of that information, but I don't understand—who are these partners? Now that we've cut all this funding since March, who are we going to specifically? Who's assisting us?
4:25 p.m.
Senior Science Advisor, Central and Arctic Region, Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatics Sciences, Burlington, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
For the Great Lakes, we would work with the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, the Province of Ontario, and the state and federal agencies in the U.S. Those are our main partners on the waters of the Great Lakes.
4:25 p.m.
NDP
Philip Toone Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC
Is it fair to say that we've now dumped this onto the provinces? It's up to them now to fix this problem. The federal government is pulling back.
4:25 p.m.
Senior Science Advisor, Central and Arctic Region, Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatics Sciences, Burlington, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
I think that given our continued ongoing funding with aquatic invasive species, to my knowledge, to date there have been no cuts. With this new additional funding with respect to Asian carp specifically, we would not be considering downloading anything onto them.
4:25 p.m.
NDP
Philip Toone Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC
But you mentioned a moment ago that we don't know what we're doing with that additional funding. I might add that it's additional funding in a context where there have been cutbacks just about everywhere else. So you may be getting a little bit more, but the net result is that there's actually less than there was previously. Again, are we just dumping this onto the province? Is that what's going on here?
4:25 p.m.
Senior Science Advisor, Central and Arctic Region, Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatics Sciences, Burlington, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
No, I would say that's not the plan at all. It's to continue to work with them as a strong partnership, and to leverage each other's best information, best use of resources, and expertise.
4:25 p.m.
NDP
Philip Toone Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC
I'll go back to the groups that no longer receive funding. The Magdalen Islands priority intervention zone committee is not a provincial government organization. Are we still working with them, or have we just cut them off?
4:25 p.m.
Senior Science Advisor, Central and Arctic Region, Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatics Sciences, Burlington, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Outside of the Great Lakes, we have the ability through our partnerships to leverage education and outreach beyond the Great Lakes with small community groups.
I'm not sure I can answer your question.
4:25 p.m.
NDP
Philip Toone Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC
Let's bring it back to the Great Lakes then. There's the Ontario Invasive Plant Council.
4:25 p.m.
Senior Science Advisor, Central and Arctic Region, Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatics Sciences, Burlington, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Right.