Okay.
Evidence of meeting #38 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 need.
Evidence of meeting #38 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 need.
Executive Director, Conservation Council of New Brunswick Inc.
I can clarify, if that's acceptable, Mr. Chair.
Executive Director, Conservation Council of New Brunswick Inc.
In this document, “Canadian Biodiversity: Ecosystems Status and Trends 2010”, the committee was holding a hearing on invasive species. I was going to appear at the hearing, but it got cancelled. Anyway, I sent this in English and French to the clerk. It would probably have been in a box for that set of hearings, so maybe what I sent could be mined out and distributed.
I'm sorry to create extra work, but I don't have any more of these, and I don't think Environment Canada has any either.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Certainly the title suggests that it would be relevant to what we're doing here today. It attracted my interest, and I appreciate your bringing it to our attention. I hope the clerk can work with you. At the very least, I'd like to scan it over and see what I can pick up from it.
Mr. Burgess, could you tell me again what your position is?
Acting Director General, Ecosystem Programs Policy, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
I'm acting director general of ecosystems program policy at DFO in Ottawa.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Ecosystems program policy. May I inquire--if you don't mind my being a little detailed, but I would like to understand the department a bit more--how many personnel do you have under your direction in ecosystems program policy?
Acting Director General, Ecosystem Programs Policy, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
I can't give you a precise number, but it would be in the order of 35 people.
Conservative
Acting Director General, Ecosystem Programs Policy, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
It was November 2011.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
So not very long. I was hoping you might be able to give us some history of the branch.
Is 35 people high, low, or average over the last five or ten years? Do you have any notion of that?
Acting Director General, Ecosystem Programs Policy, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
The department has undergone a number of reorganizations in the last two or three years, so the configuration of the group has changed. So it might be a bit misleading to give specific numbers, but I can tell you that the programs under my responsibility have to do with species at risk, oceans management, and fish habitat management. The number of individuals in those groups is roughly the same as it would have been say three years ago.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Do you have any responsibility for delivery of programs regarding conservation and protection of Atlantic salmon?
Acting Director General, Ecosystem Programs Policy, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
No, I don't.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Okay.
Earlier we heard that DFO devotes about $12 million per annum to that particular issue. Do you know anything at all about that?
Acting Director General, Ecosystem Programs Policy, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
No, I'm sorry, that's outside my area.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Okay.
Your responsibility then is Canada-wide, not simply one coast or the other or the other.
Acting Director General, Ecosystem Programs Policy, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
My responsibility is to develop regulatory and policy and operational tools to facilitate delivery of the programs on the ground.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Do you, in the course of that, conduct any study or survey as to the number of people in DFO who might be called technical support people?
Acting Director General, Ecosystem Programs Policy, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
We haven't, to my knowledge, done a specific study of that nature. Certainly the department has information regarding the number of biologists, scientists, and so forth who are distributed across the country.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
You mentioned reorganization. Can you tell me, your particular department, ecosystems program and policy, how long has that been in existence?
Acting Director General, Ecosystem Programs Policy, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
It's been in existence for about two years.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Two years. What was the genesis of it, or the purpose of introducing that particular department two years ago?
Acting Director General, Ecosystem Programs Policy, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
I'm speaking based on information that I have been told; I wasn't there for it. Essentially the department was looking to consolidate its operational and policy functions to create some synergies, if you will. Previously, for example, there were small policy functions distributed in various locations in the operational sections of the department. I think it was felt that by consolidating that operational and policy function into one group it would allow some synergies and some efficiencies.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Can you tell me your assessment of how that's worked out? What accomplishments do you see as having occurred in the last two years?