Fred Mifflin

[Fisheries, April 9th, 1997]

Yes, he would know them well. In 1986 an arrangement was made and negotiated between these two fleets that a line would be drawn from Yarmouth across the Bay of Fundy. Each fleet would fish inside or outside the line, produce their own conservation harvesting plan and their own fleet rationalization, which was basically to have the right number of resources to match the fish that are there and the boats.

This was actually held by the federal court 10 years later, last year, to be legitimate when the inshore made an application to fish offshore.

He spoke about the management plan. Last year, as a result of the condition of the inshore fishermen, the management plan made an allocation of 100 tonnes outside the line for inshore scallop fishery on the basis that it was a one-time agreement and that the two fleets would get together and sort it out in the future.

As we speak, the inshore scallop advisory committee is meeting this week with a hope of perhaps meeting with the offshore fishermen to come up with a plan that has always been good and will continue to be good in the future.

[Fisheries, April 9th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, there are two scallop fleets in the area of which he talks in the Bay of Fundy, inshore and offshore.

[Marine Protection, April 7th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member knows that the passage of the oceans act, which concentrated and focused on conservation and the environment, made possible the marine protected areas issue.

To that end and before the passage of the bill, I met with Heritage Canada officials and spent a day with them discussing this issue, along with consultation with many fishermen in eastern Canada.

As a result of that, about a month ago I made an announcement with the hon. Minister of Canadian Heritage which allowed for a marine protected area on the east coast of Canada as a test case so that we can develop policy and have a look at the evaluation criteria to make sure this system will work.

I am sure the hon. member would also be interested that with respect to the specific issue of the gully I have been in conversation with the World Wildlife Fund in the last week. I am sure that once the policies are developed we will be looking at this as one of our priority issues.

[Fisheries, March 13th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is correct. The Fisheries Resource Conservation Council did recommend that the cod fishery on the south coast of Newfoundland and the northern and southern gulf could be opened in a very minor and precautionary way.

When I announced the groundfish management plan in December, I stated that providing there was reasonable consensus among the fishermen in those areas and if they could come up with a conservation plan and a reasonable harvesting plan, then I would consider opening that fishery.

I have to report to the House that I have met with the fishermen's association and many fishermen. They are working very hard to put together, with my officials, a consensus and a plan that respects the sustainability of the fisheries. If their progress continues, I expect to be able to make a decision in the not too distant future on the

basis of an amber light as opposed to a green light for the reopening of these fisheries on a test basis.

I expect I will be able to make a decision in the not too distant future.

[Crab Fishing, March 5th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is talking about the most lucrative fishing industry in Atlantic Canada on the east coast.

He is talking about an industry that contains one resource and two main factions: the traditional crabbers and the non-crabbers. We are also dealing with the maritime provinces and the province of Quebec. Each year the negotiations start and go on for a long time.

Since June 19, 1996 negotiations have been ongoing with the various industries, with the various unions, with the traditional crabbers, with the non-traditional crabbers and with the provinces.

Two weeks ago there was an agreement by all parties, each side compromising to do as much as possible to come up with a crab plan that satisfied as many as possible in the case that each party had to put water in their wine.

As the plan pertains to Quebec, every accommodation was made for the province of Quebec, the province of New Brunswick, the province of Prince Edward Island and all fishermen involved to come up with the best possible plan.

[Divorce Act, February 14th, 1997]

moved the second reading of, and concurrence in, amendments made by the Senate to Bill C-41, an act to amend the Divorce Act, the Family Orders and Agreements Enforcement Assistance Act, the Garnishment, Attachment and Pension Diversion Act and the Canada Shipping Act.

[Seal Hunt, February 11th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, I think I indicated that and in my enthusiasm to support the people who are involved in the seal fishery I said 275, but of course I meant 275,000 seal carcasses.

With respect to an inquiry, I think I have indicated that my department is reviewing the video and will do as we did last year. We will see what is involved and if charges are to be laid, we will lay them.

I have to tell this House that the seal fishery this year, because we are increasing the total allowable catch, and I know the hon. member knows this, will be monitored like it has never been monitored before.

[Seal Hunt, February 11th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question because it is a very important one. He makes reference to a video that was shown at a press conference yesterday. It is really the annual effort on the part of the IFAW to discredit the seal hunt.

I have to tell this House that my department is reviewing that video to see what charges, if any, have to be laid against those people in the video.

The hon. member knows Atlantic Canada and the Gaspé fishermen involved in the seal fishery. The majority of the seal hunt is conducted by responsible people in a responsible manner.

I find it passing strange that in its annual effort to discredit the seal hunt, the IFAW, with metronomic regularity, tries to do things to put the seal hunt down.

The hon. member and this House know that despite IFAW's effort, the seal hunt is increasing and this year will have a total allowable catch of 275 animals. This will help the people in Atlantic Canada and it will help the recovery of the cod stocks.

[Fisheries, December 13th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, partnering is a new way of doing business in the fishing industry whereby the fishers will have a greater say and a greater share in the management of the fisheries itself.

This is a responsibility they have been looking for more and more in the past. It will build on the success of our recent co-management agreements that we have had, the best example of which is the zone 19 crab agreement in Cape Breton.

I see this provision, a major improvement in Bill C-62, the new fisheries act, as a tremendous opportunity for representative organizations and the industry to have a direct voice in fisheries management to develop ways to manage the fishery more effectively and efficiently and to provide a more stable climate for long term business planning.

[Fisheries, December 12th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is referring to the Fryer report which was released today. It talks about a number of things and a number of areas in which action should be taken in support of the fishermen, the fish and the coastal communities.

I have to tell the hon. member that he did not put all the information to the House. The recommendation made by Mr. Fryer, who was the third independent party, essentially was that there was an agreement reached on November 27 among the three parties, federal, provincial and the third party, that a vote would take place. But that vote would take place at the end of 1997, not now.