Debates of May 30th, 2022

Department of Fisheries and Oceans—Main Estimates 2022-23

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

Mr. Chair, pinnipeds consume 24 times more fish than are caught by harvesters in Atlantic Canada each year.

What is the plan to keep those MPAs from becoming buffets for seals?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Chair, we have a seal summit, which I have announced for the fall. I am happy to entertain that question at the seal summit. I will invite you right here and now.

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

The word “you” is being used.

The hon. member for Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame.

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

Mr. Chair, I appreciate the minister's gracious invitation.

Does the minister know how much more productive Norway's oceans are than ours?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Chair, I do not know that there is a metric for ocean productivity. It is my job to have our oceans be as productive, diverse and healthy as possible.

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

Mr. Chair, Norway's oceans are 7.5 times more productive than ours and it might have something to do with its much lower pinniped populations. Recently, the minister admitted seals eat fish.

Does the minister know how much capelin that harp seals alone consume in Atlantic Canada each year?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Chair, I assume it is a lot.

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

Mr. Chair, based on DFO estimates, the answer is four billion pounds per year. The fishing industry wants to know why time and money is be wasted on another seal study and a seal summit, instead of working to remove trade barriers with the EU and the U.S.

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Chair, having brought together experts in the seal science task force report, we now have a report that allows us to consider eight different recommendations. We have already announced we are acting on two of them. I look forward to exploring it further.

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

Mr. Chair, so we have cut all quotas of fish in Canada to very low levels and ended many fisheries. Pinniped populations are five to 15 times higher than historic levels.

With the reduction of pinniped numbers, can fish stocks recover?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Chair, stocks can recover if we are managing them carefully and with conservation in mind. At the same time, we will be exploring the intersection between seals and the fish that they eat.

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

Mr. Chair, does the minister believe that 50% of salmon smolts entering the ocean from B.C. rivers are consumed by pinnipeds: yes or no?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Chair, that is not a statistic that I have heard before, so I would believe it depending on the source of the statistic.

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

Mr. Chair, is the minister aware of Bill C-251 and has she familiarized herself with the contents?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Chair, yes, I am familiar with Bill C-251.

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

Mr. Chair, will the minister support the conservation of fish stocks and vote for Bill C-251?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Chair, Bill C-251 poses some challenges. It calls on actions that the government would have to take. It would cost $30 million—

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

That is all the time we have.

We have a point of order from the hon. member for South Shore—St. Margarets.

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

Mr. Chair, I believe you are about a minute short because of the point of order that was going on with the member for Kingston and the Islands. I do not think it was included in that.

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

As far as I know, the timing stopped during that debate. We are just going back to look at it, and I can confirm that we had stopped for that, so it was not included in the time.

Resuming debate, we have the hon. parliamentary secretary.

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons (Senate)]

Mr. Chair, I hope that my Conservative colleagues from across the way will be okay with another non-coastal MP having an interest in fisheries and oceans. I hope it is not implied that Conservatives, particularly our coastal MPs, have a monopoly over this issue, but I certainly am looking forward to participating today. I would like to take this opportunity—

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

There is a point of order by the hon. member for Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies.

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

Mr. Chair, I would ask the member to get to the relevance of whether he is from a coastal community or an inland community in his time tonight. I would ask him to clarify.

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

If we are declaring whether we are coastal or not, I am a coastal member as well.

The hon. parliamentary secretary.

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Chair, I was just extremely offended by the fact that the member would suggest that because I live on a lake that has a couple of islands on it, somehow I would not be qualified to speak on this. That is where my concern was coming from, but I am glad we cleared that up.

I would like to take this opportunity to highlight some of the work that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada has undertaken to advance one of the key commitments outlined in the minister's mandate letter. I would like to speak specifically to the actions taken to support biology-sustainable, stable, prosperous fisheries so that fish and fish habitats are protected for future generations and Canada's fisheries can continue to grow the economy and sustain coastal communities.

We all know that the long-term success and profitability of commercial fishing sectors rely on the health of fish stocks and the aquatic ecosystems in which they live. Beyond the intrinsic value of healthy fish populations and ecosystems, we also understand how important the fisheries industry is to Canada's economy and the prosperity of coastal communities. For communities across the country, fish are an important source of food and fishing activities are a key part of the cultural fabric, especially for indigenous communities, many of which are located adjacent to fishing sites. Harvesting activities are of great social, cultural, spiritual and economic importance. Indigenous peoples seek an increase in economic—