Mr. Speaker, I will be speaking today to Motion No. 284 which seeks to ensure the sustainability, both economically and ecologically, of the important Atlantic lobster fishery. The motion calls for the development of a lobster licence retirement plan, with adequate funding to decrease the number of lobster fleets.
As an Atlantic Canadian and representative for Halifax, the riding that actually includes fishing communities like Sambro and Ketch Harbour, I am happy to lend my support to this motion in the hopes that the lobster fishery can be maintained. We know that this motion has wide support among lobster fishers who have been calling for a licence buyback for some time.
Additionally, the Fisheries Resource Conservation Council report called “Sustainability Framework for Atlantic Lobster 2007” suggests a buyout of lobster licences as one of the ways to reduce the stress on populations when coupled with mechanisms to ensure that the fishing effort is not allowed to increase following a buyout. The report says:
Following the groundfish collapse of the early 1990s, the overall fishing effort did not decline substantially as enterprises shifted their fishing effort into other fisheries, particularly shellfish. Therefore, a buyout option can only be effective when combined with other measures to restrict fishing effort or mechanisms that allow for self-adjustment within the industry itself
The FRCC recently appeared at the House of Commons fisheries committee and made it clear that the $600 million industry was at risk because of overfishing. At the committee, representatives noted that overcapitalization, fierce competition and today's larger, more powerful boats mean that there is nowhere for the lobster to hide.
We in Atlantic Canada know the dangers of overfishing all too well. However, with so many of our communities dependent on the fishery for survival, it is essential that the government provide the kind of support that this motion calls for.
The marine committee of the Ecology Action Centre in Nova Scotia points out that today lobster fishing is the only fishery where a large number of coastal residents can still make a living. Ensuring that the lobster fishery remains an owner-operated fishery and working to improve access to small-scale sustainable fishing practices for coastal residents will help rebuild our coastal communities, while helping to restore a sustainable fishery.
The current situation for lobster fishers in the east has been well reported. Just yesterday, the St. John's Telegram printed an article about the start of the season there and the worries that the fishers face about the current low market prices, which is around $3.00 to $3.50 per pound. Those low prices make it a challenge for anyone to make a living, especially when the value goes up dramatically with the middle-man dealers who sometimes mark up the catch as much as 34%.
The recession has also dealt a serious blow to the industry. Already burdened by the fact that their work is seasonal in nature, these fishers are now facing significantly lower incomes when they are able to work. Over the holiday season, lobster fishers in the Maritimes made news with a campaign to turn lobster into a Boxing Day tradition. Hundreds of families took part, cooking up a feast of the clawed creatures in support of an industry facing great challenges.
In addition to maintaining the economic sustainability of the lobster fishery, we have a responsibility to maintain the ecology of the ocean resources that we benefit from. It is another important reason why we must do what it takes to reduce the number of fleets. Overconsumption of resources is an epidemic in Canada, where we are fortunate to have an abundance of them. Those resources are not infinite however and the passing of this motion would greatly aid in the survival of lobsters as a species.
It is just as important that we protect our ocean as part of a strategy to aid the industry. This past November, the Irving-owned barge the Shovel Master sank off the coast of Nova Scotia near Yarmouth, taking its load of 70,000 litres of petroleum product to the sea floor. This part of the coast is a vital lobster habitat and the lack of action to clean up the wreck is putting thousands of lobster and hundreds of fishers' livelihoods at risk.
The regional environmental emergency team, a joint venture between provincial officials and Environment Canada, has made it clear that it is content to let this oil spill happen in slow motion, creating a date for a plan to make a plan and then setting a later date for the actual plan for the cleanup.
The ship's owners have undertaken their own internal investigation and have, suprisingly, declared that there is little risk from 70,000 litres of diesel fuel in a precariously positioned sunken barge in the lobster fishing area. The federal government needs to protect our coastlines and our lobster resources by seeing that this environmental emergency is dealt with immediately.
That action, along with a strong effort to reduce the impact of over-fishing, will significantly help lobster fishers and the communities that depend on them. It is time to act and ensure that the lobster fishery does not face the same fate as other fisheries. I am very proud to support the motion for that reason.