Madam Speaker, I will begin by commenting on some of the statements made earlier by the opposition parties, particularly the third party.
We on this side of the House are concerned with the issue of access fees and the future of the inshore fishery. We are concerned with coastal communities and the effect that changes in the fishery will have on our coastal communities.
My province is the largest fishing province in the country in terms of landed value in tonnes. My riding of South Shore is the largest individual fishing riding in Canada. Therefore, we are concerned about these issues and I am particularly concerned.
The third party talks about the concerns of Atlantic fishermen and fisherwomen. This is the same party whose policy it is to relocate Atlantic Canadians out of the area. This is the party that would cancel the TAGS program which so many Atlantic fishers rely on. This is the party whose leader told Atlantic Canadians, particularly Atlantic fishers, last weekend to take 15 seconds and tell themselves the fisheries are dead. This is the party that purports to speak for Atlantic fishermen. Reform members go to Atlantic Canada for a weekend and become instant experts.
I want to tell members opposite that I have been meeting with these fishers all of my life. I have lived in coastal communities in different parts of Atlantic Canada all of my life.
I also ask the members opposite to read the bill because what they are speaking of is not what this bill is about. This bill is not about access fees. This bill is not needed to increase, if that is the government's wish, access fees. Some of the information being circulated is incorrect because those decisions have not been completely made. They are issues to be debated at another time.
I invite members opposite to come to the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans when it takes this bill after second reading and begins reviewing it. At that point, after they get an understanding of what the legislation is about, then they can raise some of these issues.
I am pleased to take the opportunity to express my support for Bill C-98, the oceans act. This legislation takes an important first step toward the creation of a comprehensive, integrated oceans management strategy based on the principles of sustainable development. It provides the legal framework by which the various players in the ocean sector will be able to work together under the leadership of the federal government to protect the marine environment.
For the first time the bill gives statutory recognition to the tremendous importance of Canada's ocean territories. For this reason the oceans act is pioneering legislation. It is a bold step toward a new era in oceans management. It turns good intentions into concrete deeds and actions. It places Canada at the forefront of nations striving to implement the commitments of agenda 21 made at the United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development in 1992.
Canada's ocean regions are vast. The richness and variety of the resources almost defy the imagination. Imagine them and comprehend them we must. The future of many of our coastal communities and indeed of humanity itself depends on all of us building a deeper understanding of the incredible magnitude and fragility of this great ecosystem. It is for this reason that I want to take the time today to remind my colleagues of just how important the oceans are to the lives of all Canadians and why the passage of the oceans act will be of such benefit to us all.
I said that Canada's ocean territories are vast. This hardly does justice to the facts. Canada's coastline stretches from the Pacific through the icy waters of the Arctic to the Atlantic Ocean. At almost 250,000 kilometres it is the longest coastline in the world. This is just the beginning. Our continental shelf spans more than 6.5 million square kilometres making it the second largest in the world.
Together these great bodies of water have been pivotal to our country's evolution. Rich in biodiversity, the oceans have helped forge our sense of identity and have provided the means for transport, trading, communications and sustenance for many generations.
On our east coast especially, an entire culture has been built around shipping and the fishery. For 400 years or more the daily rhythms of communities up and down this rugged coast have centred on the ways of the sea. Nowhere is this more obvious than in my riding of South Shore where communities such as Shelburne, Lunenburg, Clark's Harbour and many others line the coast.
Today Canada's ocean industries no longer dominate our economic profile like they once did. However their importance to our national accounts and to the economies of our coastal areas should not be underestimated. Together the ocean sectors of fishing,
shipping, oil and ocean manufacturing and services account for almost 3 per cent of Canada's gross national product.
Last year despite troubles in the groundfish industry, Canadian seafood exports totalled $2.8 billion. Of this total, more than half came from Atlantic Canada with the crab, shrimp and lobster fisheries putting in an outstanding performance. Canada's aquaculture industry continues to grow despite stiff international competition. This is happening on both the east and west coasts.
Canada's oceans manufacturing and service sector is also growing, now comprising more than 300 high technology firms. This sector generates millions of dollars in revenue each year.
In addition Atlantic offshore oil and gas have finally come on stream. The Cohasset field off Nova Scotia began production in 1992. The giant Hibernia development off the east coast of Newfoundland is promising to employ some 20,000 workers once it begins production in 1997.
With growth like this it is easy to see why the oceans sector plays such an important role in the economies of our coastal regions. Together these industries have the potential to generate considerable wealth and prosperity.
The oceans also have a more indirect impact on the lives of Canadians. The world's oceans are a key part of the ecosphere, acting as a major environmental sink of carbon dioxide. In particular the world's oceans play a critical role in determining the rate of climate change and its regional variations. Globally this has many implications as it does here at home.
Scientists working with global climate models forecast that with global warming the oceans will change. According to these predictions there will be less upswelling which in turn will affect productivity. Already we have seen some evidence of this with the frequent reoccurrence of the El Nino effect in the Pacific in recent years. In fact some scientists believe that the El Nino may be a common factor contributing to changes in the fish population in both the Atlantic and the Pacific.
What does all this mean for Canadians? Disruption in the fishery? Drought on the prairies? Melting sea and land ice in the Arctic? We do not really know. Our understanding of both the ocean and the earth's atmosphere is not yet well enough developed. We can only assume that widespread climate change is likely to have a dramatic impact on ocean ecosystems around the world as well as to alter the entire range of human activity.
Clearly the oceans are of tremendous importance to Canada as a nation. They impact on our environment, our economy, our social structures and culture as well as on our sovereignty and defence. Even from this very brief sketch it is obvious that managing our oceans and their resources is a complex and challenging task. At no time has this been more true than at the moment. Each region and each activity within the ocean sector presents its own pressing challenges to policymakers at all levels of government and industry.
Let me give a few examples. On the east coast several issues stand out. First, there is an urgent need for scientists and fishermen to work side by side to improve methods of resource assessment and to achieve a better understanding of the dynamics which caused the collapse of the groundfish stocks.
Second, industry and government must continue to work together to revitalize the fishing industry.
Third, we must continue to build on the potential of the ocean manufacturing and service sector to act as a catalyst for the innovative diversified economy in the region.
In the Arctic, as in other parts of Canada, environmental issues take priority. Northern communities are deeply concerned with issues of climate change and the contamination of Arctic waters and resources. These are the issues the bill speaks to.
On the west coast international relations, climate studies and resource assessment are key. Strong measures are needed to assure the future of the Pacific salmon fishery. What is more, with the region's increasing population density, environmental issues are of growing importance. Issues related to the coastal zone management, marine environmental quality, ship standards and pollution prevention demand attention. That is what the bill is about.
These are not isolated issues. Rather they are interlocking pieces of one large puzzle. It is time to respond to them in a coherent and integrated fashion. That is what the legislation does.
The oceans act sets the stage for the development of a long range comprehensive vision for the management of Canada's ocean territories and marine resources. Our approach has two phases.
First is the introduction of enabling legislation. This is the oceans act that we are now considering. With the oceans act we are extending economic and environmental jurisdiction out to the 200 nautical mile limit permitted by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. We are consolidating legislation and clarifying the federal government's responsibilities for oceans. We are creating the legal framework for an oceans management strategy based on both the sustainable development and integrated management of our oceans and coastal waters. Contrary to what a Bloc member stated earlier, there is zero impact on powers between the federal and provincial governments.
The second phase is the development of the ocean management strategy. The oceans management strategy is currently at the developmental stage. We are consulting extensively with stake-
holders about what should go into the strategy and we will continue to do so. So far our proposals have received strong support from almost everyone involved: fishermen, aboriginal groups, businesses, provincial and territorial leaders, academics and non-governmental organizations. Everyone sees the necessity for a new approach to decision making.
Canada can no longer afford to manage its oceans with partial ad hoc, short term measures. We can no longer afford to divide our decision making like so many pieces of the pie, with decisions on resource management made in isolation from decisions about shipping or environmental protection. We can no longer afford to have our experts, whether they be in government labs, universities, industries or on fishing boats, working in isolation of each other. It is time to bring all the elements together so that we can make the best decisions possible.
We must start to look at oceans issues through a wide angle lens so we can make choices based on the best interests of the entire ecosystem. Sustainable development is all about integrating economic, environmental and social considerations together into one policy framework.
What do we need to make it work? To start with, we need decision making that is open, transparent and based on sound science. We need a commitment to change from all parties involved and we need a new relationship among ocean stakeholders. I will elaborate.
First, we need a more open and more integrated approach to policy making. The oceans management strategy would see our approach to marine resource management change. Traditionally the federal government has carried out its responsibilities for oceans management on the basis of narrow sectoral approaches, in consultation with stakeholders but not in partnership with them. We recognize this must change, so we have begun a new relationship with other ocean stakeholders.
Second, ecological sustainability and economic viability depend on good science. To support these goals science needs to be multi-disciplinary, not limited by organizational structure, and responsive to changing needs and priorities. The oceans management strategy will foster partnerships involving government, academia, the private sector and environmental groups, ensuring that Canada's oceans science is once again at the leading edge of world knowledge.
Third, effective management requires a functioning ecosystems approach. Because ecosystems involve many interdependent physical and biological elements which cross lines of jurisdiction, scientific discipline and economic interest, an effectively functioning management system will have to take these factors into account.
These suggestions give an idea of the scope of the oceans management strategy. They also indicate how fundamentally an integrated management strategy would change oceans management in Canada.
Work on the oceans management strategy is just beginning. All the details have yet to be worked out. However I can assure all members that as the action plan for the oceans management strategy is put in place it will be developed in full collaboration among the federal government and ocean stakeholders. The government is committed to forging a new relationship with our partners in the ocean sector.
Stewardship of our ocean and coastal resources is a shared responsibility. Unless all those with an interest in the oceans agree to collaborate, to share information and to manage these resources in a careful and conservative manner, we will do irreparable harm to the environment. Canadians must work together if we are to protect the integrity and quality of the oceans environment and its resources for future generations.
The world's oceans have been described as the world's great heart, beating eternally. Canadians with their long relationship with the sea recognize this to be true. They understand also that it is time to make a commitment to their oceans. The oceans act is that commitment. It is the beginning of a new era of environmental stewardship and prosperity.
I look forward to reviewing the bill in committee. I invite other members to join with us in committee when we review the bill. Let us look at possible amendments that might improve the bill and bring it back for third reading. At that point it is my hope that we will have all-party consent. Once a thorough understanding is achieved by all members of what the bill is meant to do, we will have all-party consent, and I look forward to that time.
