I guess I'm first, then.
Just to give you a little snapshot--I'm sure that some of you are probably quite familiar with the fishing industry--but as an overview of the maritime region, the maritime region is made up of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. The fishing industry is the major economic driver in these coastal communities, offering many direct and indirect jobs.
Top species landed in the region are groundfish, herring, mackerel, lobster, scallop, and snow crab. Landed values and quantity for the maritime provinces is based on 2003 statistics from Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The value of the Canadian fishery was $2.23 billion. Of this total, $1.14 billion represents the maritime region, which is 52% of the Canadian value and 62% of Atlantic Canada. Within these same statistics, the quantity landed in Canada was 1.12 billion tonnes. In the maritime region, 546 million tonnes were landed, which represents 48% of the Canadian total and 60% of Atlantic Canada.
In looking at the number of vessels, based on statistics made available by Transport Canada in January 2006, there were just over 20,000 fishing vessels in Canada; 64% of these fishing vessels are located in the maritime region. Of the total fishing vessels in Canada, 79% are under 15 gross tonnes. Based on 2002 statistics from Fisheries and Oceans Canada, there was a total of 8,831 vessels under 45 feet within the maritime region.
In looking at the number of fishermen, based on 2002 stats from Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the total number of fishermen employed within Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island is around 26,000 people. This represents 61% of Atlantic Canada. The number only represents direct employment within the fishery and doesn't account for the spinoff jobs that have been created within coastal communities due to the fishery.
In looking at some of the issues of concern from the maritime regions on the stability issue, within the Canada Shipping Act, 2001, fishing vessel safety regulations, proposed stability regulations are causing much concern within the maritime region. The maritime fishing industry--through outreach consultation sessions, regional and national CMAC, which is the Canadian Marine Advisory Council--has voiced a strong message that the proposed regulations on stability are not acceptable and will cause financial hardship to most fishermen.
The Nova Scotia Fisheries Sector Council, on behalf of the fishing industry, organized a fishing vessel safety working group for the Maritimes. There was strong representation and participation from the maritime regions at this session along with key personnel from Transport Canada, Marine Safety, Atlantic Region.
Some of the comments that we've heard from industry to date from some of these consultation sessions and CMAC meetings are as follows.
New stability requirements would definitely put some operations out of business, and they shouldn't apply to the inshore fishery.
The development of regulations and standards should be applied to the proportion of risks related to an operation, and if there were no real risk, then the requirements should not be added. For the inshore fishery, the new requirements would kill some of the fishery. What might be good for one form of the fishery may not be good for another.
A few accidents should not constitute every vessel being regulated for a full stability test. Fishing vessels that have had stability booklets still capsized.
Overloading has been pertinent. Regulations should be applied based on risk.
Fishermen in one particular area noted that there weren't any stability issues in their area of operations. Government was again accused of making regulations that could not be compiled by the industry. Common sense dictates stability. Overall costs related to stability testing would definitely impact other operational costs such as insurance, salaries, maintenance, etc.
It is education that is needed, not regulations.
Fishermen will be required to increase effort with all these additional costs, and this will actually put them at more risk than before. For one fisherman to outfit his vessel under the proposed regulatory changes would cost him an estimated $68,000.
It was voiced strongly and collectively by industry that if you want safety, you require industry buy-in. Industry has been proactive in participating in the consultation process in cooperation with Transport Canada. We feel that the feedback heard from industry should be well noted and incorporated into the drafting of proposed regulations and related to small fishing vessels.