Fisheries committee  Mr. Chairman and honourable members, good morning. It is a privilege and an honour to be here with you today in my new capacity as Associate Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. This is my first time here before the committee in my new function. Hopefully I will be a

Fisheries committee  And those decisions, of course, are informed by science. The science work is conducted in the fall, in terms of the field work. That is then analyzed and goes to the science RAP, the regional advisory process, where there's a discussion as to what advice would be most appropria

Fisheries committee  Clearly the minister has, under the act, the authority and the obligation to take the decisions. As you're aware, the act does not provide any legal guidance as to how those decisions should be taken and what should be taken into consideration in making those decisions. Now, hav

Fisheries committee  That's democracy. And in terms of the current structure of the act, the act provides no process whatsoever for the exercising of the minister's absolute discretion under section 7 of the act. It doesn't say what kinds of procedures should be followed or what kinds of obligations

Fisheries committee  That's correct. The memo comes forward always with options and with a recommended option. So it doesn't come forward with one choice only; it comes forward with usually two or three options for the minister to consider. The minister then would be able to consider those options an

Fisheries committee  Well, I think it was clear that the stock was going to go down, notwithstanding what was done in 2009. It was going to go to the trough that was expected and that we anticipate will exist again next year. That's the consensus that I think existed. What wasn't there was a consen

Fisheries committee  I'd argue that they didn't benefit, in retrospect.

Fisheries committee  In the short term, one year they did, but certainly not when they have to look at the declines they're facing this year and next year. The ministers may have to make decisions. Nobody can make those for them.

Fisheries committee  We developed a preventive approach regarding the snow crab fishery in 2010. Previously, this was not the case. Scientists have not told us about the dangers or any long-term problems that might arise as a result of the decrease in the crab population.

Fisheries committee  No. It's happened in the past. It's not unique and it's not unusual that there are different views on science. There are different views on the status of the stock, and the minister has to take those views into consideration as well as the views of the recommendations of the depa

Fisheries committee  The snow crab biomass follows a cycle in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Once in a while, ministers are faced with tough decisions. I said "ministers", because this matter does not only concern the current minister. Other ministers preceded him, and they all faced the same question: th

Fisheries committee  It was only in 2010 that we set conservation limits to maintain the population at the necessary level and avoid major problems and crises. It was only in 2010 that we developed a preventive approach. Before then, there were indeed cycles, but we did not have the information we ne

Fisheries committee  We are in the process of looking for a solution. I hope that we will find it.

Fisheries committee  I can't say, because we need to find the money to deal with this major challenge.

Fisheries committee  I can't tell you because I can't predict decisions by the government.