Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the chance to respond to this question. Let me begin by assuring the House and this member that the government continues to fully protect Canadian sovereignty when it comes to decision making about fisheries inside Canadian waters. It is also clear that NAFO, the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization, has no such mandate.
In the last few years, NAFO has seen significant progress, moving from words to action by embracing change and responding to the conservation challenges before us. We have seen significant improvements in compliance in the NAFO regulatory area, which is what we want. We have seen improved cooperation and coordinated responses by NAFO members to address any violations on the water.
This happened because several years ago Canada pushed for NAFO members to adopt stronger means to deal with violations of the NAFO conservation and enforcement measures and to ensure that conservation rules were enforced. The member has spoken about that. I think he shares with us that this should be our goal, and that is what we have accomplished. We have ensured that those who were not complying with the rules were given tough sanctions. These sanctions have served as effective deterrents to improper fishing activity.
Canada participates in the NAFO joint inspection and surveillance scheme, which allows patrol vessels from one NAFO member to board and inspect the fishing vessels of another NAFO member in the NAFO regulatory area outside 200 miles. It also allows members to issue citations to vessel masters for violations. We have increased our monitoring, surveillance and enforcement activity outside Canada's exclusive 200-mile zone to accomplish this.
At the most recent meeting, NAFO contracting parties also agreed to enhance the satellite reporting requirements for fishing vessels. These changes will provide NAFO enforcement officials with more accurate and timely information to better monitor fishing vessel movement in the NAFO regulatory area and protect closed areas such as protected vulnerable marine ecosystems.
These are big accomplishments. We as a country, and particularly the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, owe a debt to Loyola Hearn, our previous fisheries minister, who is responsible for many of these positive changes. However, increased enforcement and compliance is only part of the picture.
Canada is a keen supporter of international efforts to strengthen and modernize management of renewable ocean resources. Amendments to the 1978 NAFO convention are a necessary step in the process as they position the organization in line with the provisions of the United Nations fish stocks agreement and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Canada is a party to both of these agreements.
Under the old rules, members could ignore a NAFO decision. The convention also lacked a dispute-resolution mechanism and therefore led to long-standing disagreements. The amended convention places a limit on objections and strives for consensus-based decision making. When a consensus cannot be reached, the approval of two-thirds of members is required. This is emerging as a global standard and provides enhanced protection of Canada's shares of NAFO-managed stock.
The amended convention fully recognizes Canada's sovereignty over the 200-mile exclusive economic zone. In recognizing the rights and sovereignty of Canada as a coastal state under the amended convention, no NAFO measure will apply in Canadian waters unless two conditions are met: first, the Canadian government requests the measure and second, Canada's NAFO delegation votes to accept it.
The amended NAFO convention also calls for NAFO to adopt an ecosystem-based approach. These are good improvements. We think it should be ratified. We are thankful for the opportunity to make—