Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you to the committee for having us appear today.
The Canadian Independent Fish Harvester's Federation is the national advocacy voice for over 12,000 fish harvesters and owner-operators that land most of Canada's seafood. We are the people who produce the most of Canada's crab, lobster, wild salmon, shrimp and groundfish.
Our seafood landings put Canada among the top fishing nations in the world and make us the single largest private sector employer in most coastal communities.
The seasonal nature of the Canada's fisheries sector has left it exceptionally hard hit by COVID-19 with the critical decisions forthcoming about the ability of harvesters to launch their vessels. Canada's fish harvesters may very well have to forgo critical fishing seasons due to the collapse in foreign markets and no support to pivot to local markets.
The federation has been closely following the various emergency support programs announced by the Government of Canada in response to the economic crisis caused by COVID-19. Of particular interest to our members are the Canada emergency business account, the seafood stabilization fund, Farm Credit Canada and the emergency wage subsidy. Unfortunately, due to the nature of our industry as well as the various restrictions and limitations on the programs, it is difficult if not impossible for fish harvesters to access the programs as they are presently structured.
Considering the unique nature of our industry and without having a fisheries-specific dedicated plan, we are proposing the following adjustments to the existing programs as well as some new ones for consideration.
In the short term, extend employment insurance benefits for a 12-month period for all fisheries workers, independent harvesters, crew and plant workers. That would include all B.C. salmon workers who qualify for EI based on the 2018 fishing season.
Adapt the Canada emergency response benefit and Canada emergency wage subsidy programs to the fisheries sector, so the 12-week program adopts seasonally appropriate timelines for this sector and has qualifying periods between May 9 and August 1, 2020, subject to extensions into 2021.
Wave or reimburse all 2020 federal fees related to the commercial fishery including but not limited to licensing fees, vessel registration, IQ fees, mooring fees, etc.
Introduce a program similar to the Canada emergency business account for fish harvesters, under which the maximum loan amount would be significantly increased from the current $40,000 maximum and with the deadline for the forgivable 25% portion of the loan extended by two years to December 31, 2024.
Modify programs such as Farm Credit Canada and the business credit availability elements of the COVID-19 Canada emergency response plan to meet the unique challenges facing independent harvesters.
Defer payments and freeze interest on existing bank and provincial loans related to the fishing activity for a minimum of 12 months.
In the medium and long term, work with industry to develop a Canada purchase program to get healthy protein from fishermen to Canadians, institutions, local markets and food banks. This would support food security and stabilize seafood markets.
Support critical infrastructure required by the industry, such as loading and offloading facilities, shipyards, fuel docks, ice plants, etc., also incorporating the new requirements to deal with COVID-19.
It is important to emphasize how urgently these proposed measures are needed by our industry. This pandemic came at a sensitive time in the fishing season, making recovery throughout the rest of the year extremely difficult if not impossible. Without these supports, the future livelihood of many independent fish harvesters is in doubt, as is in turn the economy of many of Canada's coastal communities.
The challenges of this pandemic have demonstrated that now more than ever it is important to protect domestic and international food supply chains, and those include seafood.
We understand that the finance department designed these programs for a broad fit and is still working to adapt them to sectoral considerations. Recognizing that adapting these programs to the fisheries sector presents unique challenges, we stand ready to assist government to ensure that fish harvesters don't fall through the cracks. Please accept our offer of ongoing support and dialogue to protect the economic well-being of our vibrant coastal communities.
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. By working together we can ensure that our Atlantic and Pacific fisheries remain intact at the other end of this and that they are ready to support in Canada's economic recovery.
In closing, I would again like to thank the entire committee for inviting us here today and for hosting this panel on fisheries, ensuring that our vital industry is not overlooked. We're looking forward to your questions.
Thank you.