Environment Committee on March 26th, 2015

[Cameron Mack]

Having been on the provincial scene for a long time—and this is fairly new to me—I will say that being on HAAP has been a very valuable experience. I think it's very good to get people together from across the country who have a vested interest in conservation and in hunting, trapping, and fishing. To provide policy advice to the ministers has been really great.

As I said earlier, I see many good things in the NCP in terms of the focus on protection and rehabilitation. There is some good stuff being done.

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

We're a little over time, but finally, Mr. Latraverse, give just a 15-second response, please, if you can.

[Pierre Latraverse]

We are very happy to take part in the hunting and angling advisory panel, which is very important. We thank the Conservative government for setting up this panel and for allowing us to participate in the 2012 conference.

We really hope that, in 2017, at the 150th anniversary of Confederation, Canadians will be reminded that hunting and fishing have allowed this country to exist. It is in our genes, our traditions, it is part of—

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

Thank you very much, Mr. Latraverse.

We're going to move to our next questioner, Mr. Casey, for five minutes. Then, unless there is a call for further...we're nearing the very end of our time.

Mr. Casey, you have five minutes.

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

I want to direct this question to the folks from Ducks Unlimited, but I would invite each of you, once you hear their response, to respond as well, if you have a reaction to it.

There is currently before Parliament a private member's bill, Bill C-655, that proposes amendments to the Criminal Code to prevent harassment of hunters and anglers. One of the apparent motivations for this is developments in technology, including the use of drones.

I'm the vice-chair of the justice committee, and quite frankly, it drives me crazy that every real or perceived problem can be addressed by an amendment to the Criminal Code, but I guess I'm divulging my bias.

My question for you is, how pervasive is this problem, and are the measures presently in place adequate to address it? In your view, is this problem so pervasive that an amendment to the Criminal Code of Canada is required to address it?

[James Brennan]

Certainly, interfering with legitimate hunting activities is not permitted under the law. I know that in the province of Ontario it is not permitted under law right now. Cam may have more insight into that than I have.

I'm not personally aware of any drone activity interfering with hunting. That's not to say it's not coming. If you can land a drone on the White House lawn, perhaps this is something we need to be concerned about, but I'm not personally aware of any examples of its happening.

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

There is no outcry from your members.

[James Brennan]

We haven't heard anything from our membership about it.

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

Okay.

Do any of the other witnesses have any comments or perspectives to add on this question?

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

Mr. Latraverse, it looks as though you are preparing to respond.

[Pierre Latraverse]

In Quebec, that is already in the legislation.

Section 1.4 states: “No person may knowingly hinder a person who is lawfully carrying on an activity referred to in the first paragraph of section 1.3, including an activity preparatory to such an activity”, which refers to hunting and fishing.

However, there are problems. Take Lake Saint-Pierre, for example. People practice kitesurfing there around people who are hunting migratory birds in the fall. So there are problems. I have seen some people scare off geese that were heading toward places with hunters. The same goes for waterfowl hunting in more populated regions. There are problems.

People are increasingly living in urban centres and they don't understand hunting activities. They don't understand that migration is part of the natural course of seasons and that we can kill some birds. That is part of our history and tradition. Hunting and fishing are traditional, heritage activities.

The fact that more and more people live in cities is causing perception problems. We have seen this in the different reactions of people in cities and people in the countryside at the simple sound of a firearm being used for a legal hunting activity. That can actually cause problems. It is absolutely fundamental that governments educate people about that.

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

Mr. Craik, did you want to respond?

[Brian Craik]

What I can say is that there is a continuous dialogue with Quebec and with the federal government and among the aboriginal groups through the Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Coordinating Committee. That type of issue is dealt with, if it becomes serious, through that committee.

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

Are there any further responses on that? You have about 40 seconds.

Mr. Casey.

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I would like to ask Mr. Latraverse another question.

You said that a piece of legislation governs this problem in Quebec. Does this piece of legislation work well? Do we need to amend the Criminal Code to solve the problem?

[Pierre Latraverse]

That is part of the Act respecting the conservation and development of wildlife. Wildlife enforcement officers and Sûreté du Québec officers can apply this legislation. If someone files a complaint, there will be follow-up. I wouldn't be able to say whether it is a criminal matter, but the Act respecting the conservation and development of wildlife guarantees the right to hunt and fish properly if the standards are followed.

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

Thank you very much.

Again I want to thank all of our witnesses for your time today.

To those who are here in person, thank you for your input.

Mr. Latraverse, thank you very much for your patience in dealing with the technology challenges. It has gone very well.

Thank you to all our committee members as well.

This meeting is adjourned.