Evidence of meeting #14 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was plants.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Conservative
NDP
Lise St-Denis NDP Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC
I want to talk about public participation. My question is for both Ms. Wallin and Mr. Quinney.
Do you think that a partnership could be established between your federation and the federal government when it comes to fostering broad public awareness?
Ms. Wallin, you talked a lot about the need for prevention and for a proactive approach, but how does that awareness-raising make use of the public?
Executive Director, Invasive Species Council of B.C.
Thank you.
There absolutely is a role for the public. It has to involve the public. All the councils that are set up across the country are set up with diverse boards. They can't be just government.
In British Columbia, for example, we have federal, provincial, and we have aboriginals right on our board and we have a whole range of citizens' groups, stewardship groups, etc., on our board. They're all involved in our work. The need to have the public involved is heavily supported in British Columbia, as in other provinces, by the federal and provincial governments. So they have a key role. They're the ones who can do a lot more. Youth are involved, and there is a need to be able to work with youth to be able to influence parents. We know what happens. Those are key answers.
I hope I'm answering your question.
Provincial Manager, Fish and Wildlife Services, Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters
Just before I turn the microphone over to Ms. Gagnon, Madam, the answer is yes.
Furthermore, we're encouraged that departments of the federal government, including Environment Canada but also other agencies, such as the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, are already participating in partnerships with organizations like the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters that directly enlist the help of the public with reference to assisting these collective efforts to control invasive species.
Rachel Gagnon Coordinator, Ontario Invasive Plant Council
I would just add to that. We do definitely target volunteers almost all the time with our campaigns, such as cottagers, horticulture groups. And these seem to be the most important people we talk to. So they are the ones who are helping us get the message across and finding the species that we aren't out to see.
NDP
Lise St-Denis NDP Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC
Mr. Quinney, your federation is made up of individual members, as well as of fishing and hunting clubs. Is raising awareness about the negative effects of invasive species more or less difficult, depending on the client base?
Provincial Manager, Fish and Wildlife Services, Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters
Excellent question.
With our experience through the programs that we've been offering now for, in one case, almost 20 years, what would pleasantly surprise you, as it has us, is the receptivity of the public, including anglers and hunters, to actually respond to these threats in a positive manner. So, for example, if they're made aware that accidentally they may be contributing to the problem, they're among the first that in fact want to change their behaviours, which you've heard is so important here.
NDP
Lise St-Denis NDP Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC
Could you describe the impact of invasive species on trapping activities in Canada?
Provincial Manager, Fish and Wildlife Services, Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters
Thank you very much.
Obviously trapping depends on healthy wildlife--fur-bearing mammals, in this case. So anything that can detrimentally affect not only the animals themselves, not only those fur-bearers, such as beaver or pine marten, but anything that detrimentally affects their habitat, the habitat those animals depend on, is going to negatively impact the animals and therefore negatively impact a trapper's ability to successfully harvest the animals and harvest that quota of animals. Trapping remains a very valuable heritage as well as economic activity in this country, and alien invasive species are definitely negatively impacting the trapping industry in specific locations.
Thank you.
NDP
Lise St-Denis NDP Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC
My question is for all three witnesses.
You talked a lot about what the federal government should do. What do you think about the government's measures to eradicate invasive species in Canada?
Ms. Wallin.
Executive Director, Invasive Species Council of B.C.
Thank you.
I think more can be done. There's work in the last couple of years that has started around stronger regulations, particularly for the borders and importing and exporting. There's an opportunity to do much more in that area. So in order to keep them out of Canada, I think that's a really key role for the federal government, and taking a look at the importing and exporting--well, shipping them out--watching the importing of many different products, of how they come into our country.
So there's more to be done: stronger regulation, clearer regulation, and clearer monitoring.
Manager, Sales and Marketing, Vanstone Nurseries; Board Member, Canadian Nursery Landscape Association
I would say that we would appreciate a network of some sort to communicate nationally, so problems in different regions are communicated properly through some forum. We appreciate what is being done.
In horticulture we work a lot with CFIA. Maybe a lot of that has to do with insect species rather than weeds, but I think there is a role that can be developed more and more. I guess your question was not so much what can be done, but what do you think of what is being done? We would want to express our thanks for any involvement that is happening now.
Provincial Manager, Fish and Wildlife Services, Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters
I would just add this. Hopefully we've demonstrated that there are a lot of positive initiatives occurring right across the country. Partnerships, of course, are one of those successful examples. If there's something missing, in our opinion, at this time, it would be the investment by, for example, the federal government to fully implement those plans that are providing strategic direction and guidance. Further investment in that regard of implementation by the federal government would be most helpful.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Mark Warawa
Thank you so much. Time has expired.
Next, Mr. Woodworth for seven minutes.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Thank you very much.
My thanks to the witnesses for being here today.
I just want to say at the outset that seven minutes, or even the hour or two that we have, is barely enough to scratch the surface, and I'm painfully conscious of that.
I'd like to get into the question of prevention a little bit, and the prevention of unintentional introduction of species. I'll just pick one that happened to catch my eye that may have some relevance to British Columbia, and it's white pine blister rust. I'll look directly at Ms. Wallin about that. You're shaking your head, so may I assume you're familiar with it, or not?
Executive Director, Invasive Species Council of B.C.
I'm familiar with it. I'm not sure I'll have the depth of knowledge you want, but go for it.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
We were told that it contributes to decimating stands of white bark pine, which are a key species of alpine forest ecosystems. I can't imagine how white pine blister rust would have been introduced to our country if it wasn't native. I'm assuming it must have been unintentional.
What I'd like to understand, if you can help me, is how did something like that happen, and what might we have done to prevent it from happening?
Executive Director, Invasive Species Council of B.C.
First of all, I don't know exactly how it was introduced. I know we've done a lot of research, and have brought about a stronger white pine that can be resistant to blister rust. I can't tell you exactly how it was introduced. I can say that there are a number of tree diseases or pests that are brought in unintentionally, often with imports of trees or pallets.
The pallet industry is a major way that nematodes or fungi can come in. So you're seeing on the forest industry side—and I just know that because I have another life in the forestry world—there are way more protocols about what's required from the phytosanitary rules about how to bring in products that have wood wrappings or wood pallets in order to avoid that. So that's the unintentional side of invasive species, but the majority do come in intentionally, not unintentionally.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
On that note, I'd like to switch to Mr. Vanstone, because your industry is engaged in the intentional importation of plants, among other things, I suppose. You've mentioned that you deal somewhat with insects.
Can you tell me if you're familiar with the procedures that one of your industry members would have to undertake if they wanted to intentionally introduce a new plant species to Canada? Do you know how that goes, and can you describe it for me?
Manager, Sales and Marketing, Vanstone Nurseries; Board Member, Canadian Nursery Landscape Association
Yes. Our company is not actively involved with it, so I haven't done a lot, but I've worked in the process. Maybe just before I jump into that, could I comment briefly on your previous question about how it might be done?
Rusts in particular are carried on alternate hosts to the primary target. The way I'm familiar with it is not with the pine problem, but with wheat stem rust that is carried through Berberis thunbergii, an ornamental shrub that we grow. Traditionally, it's able to host that rust. The symptoms are not seen in that alternate host, but it can be brought into the landscape and it is able to be transmitted to a crop or a forest.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
If I can just pursue that then, because it's really the same question, if somebody wants to bring in a plant of that nature, what processes are currently in place to ensure that it's not infected with such a disease or a phylo...whatever organism?
Manager, Sales and Marketing, Vanstone Nurseries; Board Member, Canadian Nursery Landscape Association
It doesn't happen with Berberis—that example. Once it is known that a species can be an alternate host, it does not come in. This one in particular has been a bit of a project of mine, because there are new genetics within that species that are proven to not be a host. But CFIA says no, nothing more, we don't want risk like that.
And so it is with any new species: they undergo a pest risk analysis and—
Manager, Sales and Marketing, Vanstone Nurseries; Board Member, Canadian Nursery Landscape Association
That's right. Some of that is undertaken as well by the USDA. There is collaboration there, so within North America there's a little bit more freedom.
Certainly for something from off continent, we need to have extensive work done on it, and often that just does not happen, because it's quite onerous. It is a long process.
