Environment Committee on June 2nd, 2009

[Rachel Plotkin]

They were denied listing.

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Is that the only case you're aware of?

[Sarah Wren]

That's the only one I'm aware of, yes.

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Do you know the reason for the denial of listing?

[Rachel Plotkin]

Economic impacts.

[Patrick McGuinness]

The other issue, of course, is...in terms of Pacific salmon, basically, the runs are coming back as a combination of sockeye, pink salmon, salmon from Cultus Lake, salmon from Sakinaw Lake, and all that sort of stuff. So what you have is a stream of fish coming from the open seas off British Columbia into the Fraser River. In that stream down there, there's maybe a sockeye salmon here, a Cultus Lake salmon there, so it really became extremely difficult: how do you do it with respect to stopping the whole salmon fishery in order to isolate, if you will, a couple of subspecies in the run? Basically, what was introduced were conservation measures that pretty well duplicated, if you will, what the SARA would do, except for the prohibition.

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Mainly to get into the process, my next question is this: at what point in the process was the emergency listing requested?

[Patrick McGuinness]

When COSEWIC made the assessment of those two subspecies, in making the submission to the Minister of the Environment they identified the fact that, in their opinion, the emergency action was required.

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Has there ever been an emergency listing requested as a result of the process having gone on too long?

[Rachel Plotkin]

Not that we know of to date.

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

Thank you, Mr. Woodworth.

Our time has about expired. I do appreciate SARAC for coming in. You do have some homework. I believe it was Mr. McGuinty who requested that you put together a list of recommendations to clarify some of the verbiage you have in your documentation. We do ask that you forward those to the clerk as quickly as you can.

I've always appreciated the work you guys do at SARAC, how you've been able to bring together a diverse group of organizations representing environmental and wildlife advocacy along with resource-based industries. I think it's fantastic that you're able to sit together and have a productive discussion about how to deal with something that's so near and dear to all of our hearts, which are the species that are at risk.

Thanks for coming in. With that, I'll entertain a motion to adjourn.

Ms. Duncan, on a point of order.

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Chair, on a point of order, I'm advised that some of the public members were requested to leave the room, and that they weren't allowed to sit on this side of the room. Given the lack of chairs, I'm concerned, because the meetings are supposed to be open and they are supposed to be transparent.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

No, actually, all that was requested was that they move down or find other seats.

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

But there weren't any other chairs, as I'm aware.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

Behind you there are still some chairs at the end.

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

I want clarification that we provide for the public and that they're not asked to leave.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

My understanding is that they chose to leave. They aren't to be sitting behind members of Parliament and affecting their work at the table. We simply asked them to move down or to relocate to the other side of the room. That was the request that was made.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

I move we adjourn.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

I have a motion to adjourn. We're out of here.