Debates of May 30th, 2022

Department of Fisheries and Oceans—Main Estimates 2022-23

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Chair, I am happy to say I spent countless hours and days out in the wind and weather, often on the coast, doing hard work with my hands, so I have a real appreciation for what fish harvesters do.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

Mr. Chair, that is wonderful.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the northern cod moratorium in Atlantic Canada. Why was the annual northern cod survey not completed this year?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Chair, COVID has interfered with some of the activities of this ministry.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

Mr. Chair, does the minister consider it important to know what is happening with the cod biomass?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Chair, every fishery is important to me, especially ones that are as challenged as the cod.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

Mr. Chair, could the minister please explain why the cod survey was not completed this year?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Chair, I answered that question already.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

Mr. Chair, I have information that says that the vessel was not operating, and that is why that survey was not completed. Could the minister please confirm if there was a vessel available to complete that survey?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Chair, there are many shortages in supply chains and workforces to keep equipment going due to COVID. This was a COVID shutdown.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

Mr. Chair, that is not an answer. Why was the capelin stock assessment not completed this year?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Chair, it was not completed for the same reason.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

Mr. Chair, I guess DFO could not charter a private vessel to go out and do the trial surveys for capelin and cod.

What science was the minister referring to today when she was referencing capelin in question period?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Chair, I was referencing the fact that the science of the assessment of the capelin fishery is under way and the decision will be taken soon.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

Mr. Chair, if we did not have a vessel on the ocean in the past year doing the capelin survey, where did the science come from?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Chair, it comes from other fishing data.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

Mr. Chair, the minister has a responsibility to harvesters. Capelin will show up any day in 4R. When will they see a management plan?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Chair, the fisheries management plan will be announced when it is completed. We appreciate the fishermen who have contributed data to our—

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

The hon. member.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

Mr. Chair, does Canadian science rely as heavily on acoustic surveys as other North Atlantic countries, such as Norway and Iceland?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Chair, acoustic surveys are one tool.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

Mr. Chair, one DFO official recently said that mackerel do not have swim bladders, as such they cannot be found acoustically. If this is true, how do fishers know where to set their seine?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Chair, I cannot comment on the wisdom that fishers have over many years of a fishery.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

Mr. Chair, given changing environmental conditions, does DFO plan to modify the geographic parameters around scientific stock assessments?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Chair, this is an iterative process. DFO is always consulting and improving—

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

Mr. Chair, on a point of order, I do not think it is becoming of this House to have the members making a joke out of this member's comments. I would just ask that respect be given across the way from the members in the Liberal Party to the person asking the questions.