Hello and good morning, Mr. Chair and committee members.
My name is Brent Napier. I am the acting director general of the conservation and protection directorate at Fisheries and Oceans Canada. I am joined today by my colleague Sam Ryan, director general of DFO IT operations.
Before I begin, I would like to acknowledge that I am grateful to be joining you here on the traditional, unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin people.
Mr. Ryan and I appreciate the opportunity to appear before this committee on behalf of Fisheries and Oceans Canada and provide you with information on the conservation and protection program and our national digital forensics service, which fall under my responsibility, and the cybersecurity digital forensic investigator service, which is under Mr. Ryan's responsibility.
It is the enforcement program of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The Department’s mandate is to sustainably manage fisheries and aquaculture. The proper management of fisheries and marine and aquatic resources requires a robust compliance verification program.
C and P has over 550 fishery officers in locations across Canada. Our officers work with the general public, harvesters, indigenous communities and industry to conserve and protect Canada's marine and aquatic resources. Fishery officers verify compliance with fisheries-related statutes, such as the Fisheries Act and the Species at Risk Act, and take enforcement actions, including undertaking investigations and recommending prosecution for offences.
Historically, the harvesting and reporting of fisheries resources was all done using paper forms, such as logbooks and charts. As technology has advanced, harvesters have adopted new technology, such as chart plotters, electronic logs and electronic communication devices into their harvesting operations. To remain an effective enforcement organization, C and P has adapted its capacity, tools and use of technology. This includes the implementation of new units to support complex investigations, including those involving complex digital files, components and data. Digital forensics examiners are now part of the C and P team. They use new digital technologies, technological solutions and approaches to support digital enforcement investigations.
C and P's digital forensics team is centrally managed in Ontario and supports fishery officers across the country through regional labs. The digital forensics team is made up of seven experienced, highly trained and highly skilled digital forensics examiners. The training and technical solutions used by the C and P digital forensics team is in line with Canadian municipal, provincial and federal law enforcement standards. Before deploying any technical solution or retrieving any digital data, C and P's fishery officers and investigators seek a judicial authorization or warrant.
The IT operations' cybersecurity digital forensic investigator team uses digital forensics tools to support the department's mandate to promote and maintain compliance with legislation and regulations as well as internal administrative investigations into violations of Government of Canada policies, such as fraud or harassment in the workplace, and for supporting such cybersecurity activities as investigating cybersecurity incidents.
In the context of an administrative investigation, it is important to note that judicial authorization is not required. It is conducted with the full awareness and co-operation of the involved individual. The nature of the allegations and the subsequent investigation are defined within the investigation's terms of reference, which are shared with the involved individual.
In closing, the Government of Canada, including Fisheries and Oceans Canada, is committed to working with other federal departments and agencies, provincial and territorial governments, indigenous peoples and other partners to fulfill its commitment to protect, enhance and restore the biodiversity and health of Canada's marine and freshwater environments through an integrated ecosystem approach that supports the sustainable use of marine and aquatic resources.
Thank you for your attention. I will be happy to answer any questions you may have.