Fisheries Committee on Feb. 13th, 2024

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

I call this meeting to order.

Welcome to meeting 98 of the House of the Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans. This meeting is taking place in a hybrid format, pursuant to the Standing Orders.

Before we proceed, I will make a few comments for the benefit of witnesses and members. Please wait until I recognize you by name before speaking. For those participating by video conference, click on the microphone icon to activate your mic, and please mute yourself when you are not speaking. For interpretation, for those on Zoom, you have the choice, at the bottom of your screen, of the floor, English or French. For those in the room, you can use the earpiece and select the desired channel. Please address all comments through the chair.

Before we proceed, I simply want to remind members to be very careful when handling the earpieces, especially when your microphone or your neighbour's microphone is turned on. Earpieces placed too close to a microphone are one of the most common causes of sound feedback, which is extremely harmful to the interpreters and causes serious injuries.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted on February 8, 2024, the committee is commencing its study of plans to prevent violence during the 2024 elver fishing season.

We have with us today officials from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. I welcome Annette Gibbons, deputy minister; Adam Burns, assistant deputy minister, programs sector; Brent Napier, acting director general, conservation and protection; and Doug Wentzell, regional director general, Maritimes region.

Thank you for taking the time to appear today. I know it's not your first time here before committee. You will have five minutes or less for your opening statement.

I invite Ms. Gibbons to make her statement when she's ready—

[Serge Cormier, Liberal, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Mr. Chair, I know this meeting is important today, but I move that the committee resume consideration of the debate on my motion on succession planning from February 8, 2024.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

It is so moved.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Can we hear the motion again?

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

The motion is:

That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee undertake a five-meeting study on the need for training and financial support for the next generation of fishers given the challenges they face entering into the field, given the high cost of licences and equipment, and that the committee report its findings and recommendations to the House; and

1. That witnesses include young fish harvesters and aspiring young fish harvesters;

2. That witnesses include representatives from the fish harvesting industry and the fish harvester unions;

3. That witnesses come from a wide variety of regional and linguistic backgrounds, including indigenous representation.

Furthermore, pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee ask that the government provide a comprehensive response to its report.

Mr. Perkins, go ahead

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

This is a cowardly move by the Liberals to avoid accountability—

[Serge Cormier, Liberal, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Mr. Chair, I have a point of order.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

—for the fact that they made an announcement today to destroy the elver fishery.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Mr. Perkins, there's a point of order.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

You're trying to avoid your mismanagement and your incompetence.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Turn off his mic.

I'm going to the point of order.

[Serge Cormier, Liberal, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Mr. Chair, this motion should not be debatable at all, but I just want to clarify with the clerk. I just said from the beginning that we want to hear from the—

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

You're cowardly. Every one of you is a coward, a nasty coward who hates fishermen by what you're doing today—every one of you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

There is a motion and the clerk tells me it is non-debatable, so we have to go to the vote immediately.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

You're cowards, every one of you. It's shameful.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Mr. Perkins....

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Your motion is shameful. Your actions to muzzle the committee are shameful.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Mr. Perkins, you haven't been recognized to speak. Please stay quiet while we do the vote.

(Motion agreed to: yeas 7; nays 4)

Mr. Morrissey, you have your hand up.

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

I just want some clarification.

First, Mr. Chair, the vote was to move the motion to the committee. Is that correct? It was to adopt it for discussion.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

It was to resume debate.

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

Mr. Chair, I have an amendment to propose on the motion. It's a simple amendment on the motion that's on the floor. I have it in all the languages. Is it in order to move the amendment now? Okay.

I would add, directly after bullet three of Mr. Cormier's motion, “That the committee commence this study immediately after the conclusion of the committee's study on the five-year review of the Fisheries Act.”

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

I'll wait until the actual amendment is circulated.

Mr. Morrissey, I believe everybody has a copy of the amendment if you'd like to read it into the record again, please.

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I would move to add the following directly after bullet three of Mr. Cormier's motion. It would be number four, and it would read, “That the committee commence this study immediately after the conclusion of the committee's study on the five-year review of the Fisheries Act.”

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

We've heard the terms of the amendment. Seeing no discussion, we'll take the vote.

(Amendment agreed to: yeas 11; nays 0)

Mr. Cormier.

[Serge Cormier, Liberal, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

I just want to clarify what happened here. In no way do we want to shut down this meeting. This took five minutes to pass. Everything that we were passing right now was on a motion I was debating last meeting when we adjourned. We want to hear from officials.

I think the comment from my colleague Mr. Perkins was a little bit out of order, but, Mr. Chair, I think we can get on with this meeting right now. There was no attempt to shut down this meeting. It was just to be able to resolve some business that we were not able to resolve at the last meeting.

Again, I don't expect an apology, but I think the member should apologize for the comment that he made.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.