It would be important for committee members to see it.
Evidence of meeting #24 for Fisheries and Oceans in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was hunters.
Evidence of meeting #24 for Fisheries and Oceans in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was hunters.
3:55 p.m.
Bloc
Raynald Blais Bloc Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC
It would be important for committee members to see it.
3:55 p.m.
President, Association des chasseurs de loup-marin des Îles-de-la-Madeleine
You cannot see it.
3:55 p.m.
Bloc
3:55 p.m.
President, Association des chasseurs de loup-marin des Îles-de-la-Madeleine
The film will début on January 15. It could serve as an information tool, as a documentary. It shows how the hunt takes place and abolitionists on the ice. Foreigners who know nothing about the seal hunt will be able to get a good idea of the situation.
Denis and I watched the film that evening as hunters, then the next day, we put ourselves in the shoes of an abolitionist, of a European, or someone who does not know anything about the seal hunt. I could clearly see the scheming. Someone who does not know anything about the hunt forgets that.
3:55 p.m.
Bloc
Raynald Blais Bloc Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC
It is impossible for you to put yourself in the shoes of someone who does not know anything, as I know full-well that you are capable of working all of that out.
You have minimized the importance of your contribution. The seal hunt is not a question of instruction, but a question of education. That is not the same thing. Some people have PhDs and do not understand anything, whereas others, who have never gone to school, are much more knowledgeable. Be it in the Magdalen Islands or Newfoundland and Labrador, seal hunters talk about the animal with respect.
3:55 p.m.
President, Association des chasseurs de loup-marin des Îles-de-la-Madeleine
That is true.
3:55 p.m.
Bloc
Raynald Blais Bloc Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC
Just because a hunter kills a deer does not automatically make him barbaric. The same is true for a seal hunter.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
3:55 p.m.
Member, Association des pêcheurs propriétaires des Îles-de-la-Madeleine
We talked about dis-information and about information, Mr. Blais. We also said that the government had declared it was up to its embassies, which represent it, to get the information out. During our visit to Quebec City, at the Parliament, a representative of another country tried to raise our awareness. He asked us if there was a way of abolishing the hunt and turning us towards something else. I find that point of view quite stupid. It makes no sense. If we abolish the hunt, we might as well close down all of the coastal regions, be it around the Gulf of St. Lawrence, in Newfoundland or elsewhere. The reality is such that seals eat fish. The ecosystem that Mr. Arseaneau talked about must follow its course.
We have reached the point where a representative from another country tells us that it would be better for us to leave the food for the seals and to move on to something else. However, we know that our main industry is the fishing industry.
4 p.m.
Bloc
Raynald Blais Bloc Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC
We can talk about the issue of financial assistance for the Seal Interpretation Centre.
4 p.m.
Member, Association des pêcheurs propriétaires des Îles-de-la-Madeleine
I fully agree with the idea. The Seal Interpretation Centre works with what it has. It does not receive much government assistance. This is therefore a very good opportunity. The traveling exhibit has covered considerable ground within Quebec, but I do not know if it has gone elsewhere. It would be a very good initiative, if only to inform or educate our fellow Canadians. After that, it could go elsewhere.
4 p.m.
Member, Association des pêcheurs propriétaires des Îles-de-la-Madeleine
The plan was to keep it around for some time. We could use the opportunity to do what Jean-Claude was talking about in Ottawa.
4 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gerald Keddy
Mr. Lapierre, last comment, please. Then we'll go to another questioner.
4 p.m.
President, Association des chasseurs de loup-marin des Îles-de-la-Madeleine
Just for your information, Radio-Canada does in fact own the film that I went to see.
4 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gerald Keddy
We'll try to be brief here, gentlemen. I know our witnesses have a lot to say, and it's important, and the questions sometimes get lengthy.
4 p.m.
Conservative
4 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gerald Keddy
I want to say thank you to everybody for your presentations. I think it's been very helpful. I appreciated the visit to the interpretive centre.
I want to agree with comments made by Mr. Byrne about use of the whole animal. I'm sure there's more value that can be obtained from the animal that would help the case. The more we can generate positive uses--the omega-3 is great. If there's a positive use for collagen...all of that is good.
I noticed that no one would believe Mr. Lapierre when he mentioned his age here. No one would believe this is possible, so maybe there's tremendous vitality or long life here in the Magdalen Islands. And look at the head of hair! I have to say--
4 p.m.
Voices
Oh, oh!
4 p.m.
Conservative
James Lunney Conservative Nanaimo—Alberni, BC
Look at the end of the table here. I think there might be evidence that it really helps with hair growth. We can look into this; it might save the whole industry, with the possible exception here of the mayor. Perhaps we had better see how much seal he's been eating.
Putting that side, on a serious note, use of the animal is one thing, but there's another issue I want to come back to, and that is fishing activities, obviously. We visit here, and it's so beautiful that I think we all want to come back as tourists. But all the boats that are here...it's part of the history of this area; it's a fishing area like Newfoundland. Fishing is a heritage. It is your culture. It's obvious that it's part of what makes this the most beautiful, attractive, and ambient area and all of that.
And you call this, and I think this is interesting, loup marine. We've been hearing about phoque all week during our studies here, but loup marine predation.... I want to bring this back to the issue of predation. I think it was Mr. Poirier who raised the issue of predation. I understand that in establishing the total allowable catch, the TAC, that predation is not an issue, and perhaps, Roger, you can answer some of this in a minute, but predation is not considered in establishing the total allowable catch.
Now, you people have evidence or have seen first-hand what seals are doing to the cod and the other fish in the area, with the tremendous numbers that are out here now. I want to ask whether you feel we could do more talking about the predation or the damage these fish are doing in preventing cod stocks and other fisheries from coming back, so you can maintain the fishing heritage that is important here in the Magdalen Islands.
Would you like to comment on that?
4:05 p.m.
Member, Association des pêcheurs propriétaires des Îles-de-la-Madeleine
As I told you, there are harp seals and grey seals. If we deal with the problem of harp seals but leave the grey seals alone, we will never rebuild the fish stocks in the Gulf. So we must rule that out. It is not a solution.
We are on the right track. Now we need to inform our friends on the other side of the ocean, the Europeans. We must hope the message gets across. That would be a good thing. Regardless of what happens, you must understand that in the Gulf and along the east and west coast of Newfoundland, grey seals are a major problem. We must stay on track as regards the harp seals. Grey seals, however, are of concern. We must come up with a solution.
