Evidence of meeting #29 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 seals.
A recording is available from Parliament.
11 a.m.
(PES - United Kingdom), Parliament of Europe
Do cold-water shrimp and warm-water shrimp compete with each other or are they distinct markets?
11 a.m.
Liberal
Gerry Byrne Liberal Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte, NL
Some would suggest no. I think, though, when you consider that there's a shortage on the market, the answer is yes. Substitution is readily made between warm-water shrimp and cold-water shrimp. When sources of cold-water shrimp are not readily available, there's an obvious substitution of warm-water, in my opinion.
11 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gerald Keddy
Thank you, gentlemen. We're going to have to continue this discussion.
Mr. Ó Neachtain.
11 a.m.
(UEN - Ireland), Parliament of Europe
Mr. Chair, again on the technicalities of this, I would like to ask our ambassador representing the commission on this particular subject to clear up an ambiguity that is obviously there.
11 a.m.
Head of Delegation and Ambassador Designate, European Union - Delegation of the European Commission in Canada
On the cold-water shrimp, this is a unilateral concession by the European Union. We are under no obligation to open any tariff quota at all.
Secondly, the tariff quota of 6% is a matter of negotiation between the commission and the processing industry in Europe. The quantity of 7,000 tonnes is what the processing industry in Europe asks as a special derogation from our normal rule, so it is more a discussion within the EU than with supplier countries.
Finally, the quota. The commission has proposed to increase the quota from 7,000 tonnes to 10,000 tonnes.
Thank you.
11 a.m.
Conservative
11 a.m.
(UEN - Ireland), Parliament of Europe
Mr. Chair, I just want to say in conclusion that I'm very grateful for the comments and the very informative views you've put unanimously and passionately before us. I think it was a very useful exchange, because we came here to listen in a very open format.
We have one very important word in the European Union and that is “subsidiarity”, but it's best done at local levels. That is very important.
We did not come totally uninformed, because your minister, Loyola Hearn, visited us recently in Brussels and informed us very passionately as well, may I add. As late as last night, your chairperson of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association, Senator Lorna Milne, also put her views across very definitely, as you all did. We are taken with your unanimity and with your reasoning on this very particular subject, and we take that on board very clearly, let me tell you.
We have devoted a large section of our agenda to sealing and to fishing and to Newfoundland. We are very conscious, looking at the names here.... I am sorry Mr. Manning has gone, because I wanted to say to him that we do feel our ancestral bonding very strongly and even the retention of some of the accents. We are very conscious too--and I've said this before--that the Irish named Newfoundland very adequately in the Irish language, which I will say to you now: Talamh an Éisc. Translated, that is the land of the fish. So I think we got there much earlier than some others to recognize what we saw yesterday in the sculptures on the Parliament wall of the boat being delayed because of all the fish coming into the rocks, I presume, at that stage.
We're very conscious of the importance you attached to your subject, and I'm also very conscious of the time. And therefore, I hope over lunch we will have an opportunity to delve into the other fisheries aspects we have, because when your delegation in Parliament visited the European Parliament in March 2005, the subject of fisheries took such time that we said, when we return, we will devote more time to the subject, because of the interest there. But I've gone past a health break--plus it's here in my agenda--so I'm conscious that it's very important to take whatever amount of break at this time.
So again, thank you very much, Mr. Chairman and members, and thank you for your honesty and your forthright comments. As I said, we'll take them on board, and I'm sure all the members have been very conscious of your unanimous voice.
Thank you.
11:05 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gerald Keddy
Thank you Mr. Ó Neachtain, Ambassador, European colleagues. We are going to adjourn this meeting.
I'd like to welcome the group from the Îles-de-la-Madeleine. It is very important that you have an opportunity to speak with them and that they should take priority over us. We will have a further discussion over lunch and settle all international disputes over fishing and transboundary stocks.
Thank you. We are adjourned.