Debates of May 30th, 2022

Department of Fisheries and Oceans—Main Estimates 2022-23

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Madam Chair, it is very important that our Pacific salmon are not overfished. I have heard the concerns about potential Alaskan overfishing, and that has been forwarded to the Pacific Salmon Treaty commissioners. They will be reviewing that.

[Francesco Sorbara, Liberal, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

Madam Chair, it is great to participate in the committee of the whole this evening. My remarks will be centred around the Pacific salmon strategy initiative that the minister and our government are undertaking.

I would be remiss if I did not say that one of the reasons I wanted to speak this evening and ask the minister questions is that when my parents immigrated to Canada in the early 1960s to Prince Rupert, British Columbia, my mother, her four sisters and my grandmother all worked at a cannery in Prince Rupert, in a very vibrant fishing community. In high school and then in university, I worked at J.S. McMillan Fisheries. I understand very well the fishing industry. I think about going for picnics along the Skeena River as a kid and fishing. I used what is called a kitimat and bait to fish for various types of salmon at that time. It brings back very fond memories for my family, particularly my grandparents, who are no longer in this world and are in another world, and my parents, who are at home watching this evening.

I want to salute my mother and her sisters, who for many years were filleters and worked in canneries. It is very rigorous and hard work done manually, and they did it to provide a better future for me, my first cousins and siblings. They have my utmost respect and gratitude. We had many folks come from the east coast during that time, and a lot of my friends came from Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, moving interprovincially to work in Prince Rupert, especially during the summertime. It is a fond part of my childhood memories and will always be a part of me.

I am pleased to speak today about the efforts our government is taking to protect wild salmon populations. By way of background, the five most common species of Pacific salmon, which give me a big smile, are pink, chum, coho, chinook and sockeye. While the department responded to declines in coho populations two decades ago with strong management measures, the more significant declines in many southern British Columbia chinook and sockeye populations in recent years call for immediate and bolder actions.

Let me state clearly that Fisheries and Oceans Canada is committed to the long-term health and sustainability of our rich fishery resources. I am confident that Fisheries and Oceans Canada's launch of the Pacific salmon strategy initiative, or PSSI, in June 2021, as well as its ongoing work with first nations, harvesters, stakeholders and the Governments of British Columbia and Yukon, will help us address the top priority.

The PSSI is a $647.1-million investment that addresses the steep declines in Pacific salmon through a series of immediate and long-term measures organized under four pillars: conservation and stewardship, salmon enhancement, harvest transformation, and integration and collaboration. This will include significant new investments in habitat restoration, integrated ecosystem planning, hatchery capacity and science to inform decision-making. This is the largest, most transformative investment Canada has made in Pacific salmon.

The PSSI, among other initiatives, is aimed at protecting Pacific salmon and will integrate and leverage other recent investments, while at the same time ensure that our actions are designed to meet clear biological objectives and discover innovative ways to improve the resiliency of our Pacific salmon fisheries. The department is taking a long-term approach to stabilizing, restoring and rebuilding salmon stocks and the habitat that is critical to their survival. The approach of the PSSI is built on coordination, partnerships, best available science and, as I have just said, significant new financial resources through the PSSI. Fisheries and Oceans Canada will look to indigenous communities, British Columbia and Yukon partners, harvesters and other stakeholders to join us in this strategic and targeted approach to address the challenges currently facing Canada's Pacific salmon.

I wish to salute my friends and their parents who were trawlers, gillnetters and seiners and who went out into the waters in the Pacific Ocean while we were in high school and university. I remember the conversations I had and the rich experiences I was able to gain through my friendships with those individuals. I am still in contact with many of them today.

Funding for the PSSI is already being used to implement immediate and long-term solutions. Under PSSI's conservation and stewardship pillar, we are investing new resources in science, in additional salmon habitat monitoring and assessment and in integrated planning and habitat restoration. We are ensuring that our priority-setting is informed by available science, which we will also use to help us evaluate how well our management actions are working so we can adjust more nimbly.

As we know, Canadians across the country are feeling the impacts of climate-related extremes first-hand, from devastating wildfires and flooding to heat waves and droughts. Not surprisingly, these events are also having a significant impact on Pacific salmon populations. To respond to this, we are supporting integrated salmon rebuilding and ecosystem planning processes that incorporate improved climate science, salmon conservation priorities and the interests of our partners.

We have committed an additional $100 million toward doubling the size of the British Columbia salmon restoration and innovation fund, a fund that is delivered in partnership with the Province of British Columbia. We are also creating a new salmon habitat restoration centre of expertise to provide expanded technical expertise and resources to help first nations and community partners strategically direct and deliver salmon habitat restoration, informed, of course, by science. An important aspect of the PSSI is a strong focus on strengthening collaboration with the Province of British Columbia and the territorial Government of Yukon by strengthening current governance structures and better aligning our respective Pacific salmon priorities.

Under the PSSI salmon enhancement pillar, we are modernizing current hatchery programs, focusing on how salmon hatcheries can directly help conserve, restore and enhance priority salmon populations. We are also enhancing our scientific and technical support for hatcheries to ensure that we can support the broader objective of conserving and rebuilding Pacific salmon stocks. Initial planning and consultations are under way to construct new DFO and community-based hatcheries so that key populations of concern can be protected and rebuilt in areas within British Columbia that currently have no significant hatchery capacity.

Through the PSSI harvest transformation pillar, Fisheries and Oceans Canada took steps last June to introduce additional restrictions and closures in commercial salmon fisheries to further protect stocks of conservation concern. We intend to implement this more precautionary approach for the longer term.

Since then, we have begun work with Pacific salmon harvesters to transform how these fisheries are being managed. This includes recognizing that the Pacific salmon commercial fishery must be smaller and more resilient, and that it needs to employ more selective fishing methods and approaches to reduce bycatch of weak wild stocks. To this end, the new Pacific salmon commercial licence retirement program, which we will be launching in the coming weeks, will give commercial harvesters an option to retire their licences for market value, helping us to right-size the commercial fleet.

The department has also been meeting with first nations to better understand how harvesting for food and for social and ceremonial purposes has been affected by declining salmon returns, or salmon runs, as we used to say. DFO will also be discussing the economic impacts related to communal commercial salmon licences, which are held by many first nations in British Columbia and Yukon. DFO will be working together with first nations to explore options, such as shifting to more selective fishing gear and harvesting non-salmon species.

The department is modernizing how recreational salmon fisheries are managed by improving fishery monitoring, data and management tools. For example, DFO will be consulting broadly in the coming weeks about developing a framework for implementing additional marked selective fisheries in the future.

Lastly, the activities under our fourth pillar, integration and collaboration, will develop our all-important collaboration with indigenous partners and stakeholders even further. The challenge before us is a long-term one and will require all hands on deck.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada cannot do this alone. The last six years have been the warmest on the planet. The recent widespread floods and landslides in British Columbia are another major setback to wild Pacific salmon stocks. Our efforts to protect, recover and rebuild these iconic species are even more important now. Our government is making generational investments to protect and restore Pacific salmon and their ecosystems by working in partnership with indigenous nations and other governments.

Moving on to my questions, as I mentioned, the last six years have been the warmest on the planet. When we take this into account, along with recent floods and landslides in British Columbia, it is clear that we must prioritize the protection, recovery and rebuilding of these iconic species. Pacific salmon need our help, and the $647.1 million announced in budget 2021 will guide a strategic and coordinated long-term response to these issues.

Can the minister please explain how the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard are hoping to stem the decline of Pacific salmon stocks and populations and protect and rebuild these stocks?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries]

Madam Chair, I would like to thank the member for the story of his family early on and their connection with fisheries and for his concern about wild Pacific salmon. They have been such a high priority for British Columbians and for this government, and this is even more critical today given the complex challenges facing the species, including, as he mentioned, climate change, changes in land and water use, and B.C.'s year of floods, fires and slides.

The PSSI will include habitat, hatcheries and harvest approaches to conserve and restore Pacific salmon. The department is continuing to work to ensure that new and ongoing investments, activities and Pacific salmon programming are properly aligned with other partners to achieve maximum and key results. In particular, programs and actions will be implemented to respond to the historic declines of the Pacific salmon by putting in place conservation approaches and plans to prioritize Pacific salmon populations and support their recovery.

[Francesco Sorbara, Liberal, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

Madam Chair, Pacific salmon have social and cultural significance for many Canadians, and they are economically vital to many local communities. This iconic species is experiencing drastic population declines due to a combination of climate, habitat and harvesting pressures. Bold, transformative action is needed now to stabilize, protect and rebuild west coast salmon stocks for the ecosystems and communities that depend on them before it is too late. Many Pacific wild salmon are on the verge of collapse, and we need to take bold and ambitious action now if we are to reverse the trends and give them a fighting chance at survival.

The PSSI is a comprehensive initiative that will build on and support the years of work and wisdom that grassroots organizations, indigenous communities, scientists and others have already put into effect to protect and recover Pacific salmon. Can the hon. minister please explain the funding strategy of the PSSI?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Madam Chair, with this total five-year funding envelope, $346.4 million is vote 1 funding, which means it is dedicated to program operations across all four pillars, including climate change science, stock assessments, fisheries monitoring, a new habitat restoration centre of expertise and enhanced collaborative processes with first nations, the B.C. government, Yukon and key partners.

Second, $274.5 million is vote 10 funding, which includes grants and contribution investments in the B.C. salmon restoration and innovation fund, the new Pacific salmon commercial licence retirement program and other activities.

Lastly, $125.1 million is vote 5 capital funding to build new conservation-based hatchery facilities in the upper Fraser watershed, retrofit DFO and community hatcheries in key geographic areas and acquire key scientific equipment such as mass-marking trailers.

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

Madam Chair, icebreaker and offshore patrol ship delays are causing massive increases in costs and threaten our Arctic sovereignty and security, putting all Canadians at risk. The Parliamentary Budget Officer estimates that the polar icebreakers announced by the government would cost $7.25 billion, or over $3.6 billion each. In 2013, the estimated cost for one heavy icebreaker was only $1.3 billion.

Continued delays by your government are costing taxpayers billions. What date have you been given for when these heavy icebreakers will be added to our Coast Guard fleet?

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I will remind members that they are to address questions and comments through the Chair and not directly to the minister.

The hon. minister.

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries]

Madam Chair, I am proud of our Coast Guard fleet renewal program. The member's government, a previous government, did nothing to renew the fleet, and many of these ships are well past their shelf life. I am proud that three major fishery science vessels have already been produced and that many more are under way.

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

Madam Chair, the minister is actually announcing the previous Conservative strategy around shipbuilding, so I thank her for that plug.

An Order Paper answer delivered by the government stated that the cost of the Coast Guard Arctic and offshore patrol ships would be $750 million per ship. Your colleague, the Minister of Public Services and Procurement said—

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I want to remind the member that he is to address all questions and comments to the Chair. He may want to refrain from using the words “you” or “your”.

The hon. member.

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

Madam Chair, the minister's colleague, the Minister of Public Services and Procurement, said that $750 million would be an estimate. Who is telling the truth?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Madam Chair, I think the key question here is, are we delivering on our promise to renew the fleet? Yes, we are.

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

Madam Chair, the question for the minister was specific. Irving just testified that the amount would be considerably less than the $750 million, so again, who is telling the truth?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Madam Chair, the truth of the matter is that there was no renewal of the Coast Guard fleet nor the defence fleet for 10 years under the previous government.

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

Madam Chair, what is taking so long?

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

Madam Chair, I rise on a point of order. The member just said, “Why did it take you so long?”

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

Madam Chair, I said specifically, “What is taking so long?”

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Madam Chair, there have been delays that tie into COVID, as well as supply chain issues.

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

Madam Chair, when will the contracts for the two Arctic and offshore patrol ships for the Coast Guard be signed?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Madam Chair, they will be signed when those negotiations are complete.

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

Madam Chair, B.C.'s public fishery represents $1.1 billion in revenue and supports 9,000 direct jobs. When I asked the minister in committee if the minister would work with our angling community, she said that she would. She has since broken her promise. Why is she determined to shut our province's fishing communities down with continued unnecessary closures?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Madam Chair, I will say I did meet with the angling representatives. I have a lot of respect for their position. I cannot open an integrated fishery management plan in—

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

Madam Chair, who specifically in the fishing community did the minister meet with?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Madam Chair, I am happy to get the member a record of the several meetings I have had.

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

Madam Chair, if the minister had actually met with the fishing community, one would think it would be first-hand. It is easy to remember the fishing community. Believe me, I know a lot of them in B.C., and they are certainly unforgettable.

A study funded by the minister's own department recently found that the numbers of chinook salmon in the Salish Sea during the summertime are four to six times more abundant for southern resident killer whales than in northern resident whales' feeding grounds. A lack of prey for southern resident killer whales has been used by the minister's predecessor as the reason for shutting down our public fisheries. This has now been clearly debunked. When will the minister's department start making science-based decisions when it comes to keeping our public fishery open?