Yes.
Evidence of meeting #37 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 price.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #37 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 price.
A recording is available from Parliament.
11:55 a.m.
Regional Director General, Pacific Region, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Yes.
11:55 a.m.
Liberal
Scott Simms Liberal Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL
No other Asian nations? No emerging markets there?
11:55 a.m.
Regional Director General, Pacific Region, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
No. My understanding is that the product is exclusive to Japan.
11:55 a.m.
Liberal
Scott Simms Liberal Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL
That's all I'll ask; I just wanted to ask about emerging markets.
11:55 a.m.
NDP
Catherine Bell NDP Vancouver Island North, BC
Thank you.
I have two questions. One is regarding the global competition, and you mentioned Alaska. Are there any other places producing spawn on kelp that would have an impact on the price?
February 8th, 2007 / 11:55 a.m.
Regional Director General, Pacific Region, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
There are other places that are producing roe herring--that is, again, going into the Japanese market--but I don't believe there are others that are producing spawn on kelp.
I'd have to determine whether Russia might be. They have the capability to do it, but I'm not sure that they are.
11:55 a.m.
NDP
Noon
Regional Director General, Pacific Region, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Yes, it would.
Noon
NDP
Catherine Bell NDP Vancouver Island North, BC
You talked about doing the mediation and working with the first nations and the other organizations and individual spawn-on-kelp fishermen, and you said that with the industry you've built these relations, working towards less confrontation in the fishery. But from this presentation it sounds like SOKOA is not satisfied. They want something more.
I'm wondering whether we are going to have to go through this every year, or if it is settling down. Is the spawn-on-kelp organization just frustrated because they're losing money because of market prices, and sort of using the other decisions as a reason for their loss and maybe not understanding that it is the market? That's asking you for an opinion, I guess, more than anything.
Noon
Regional Director General, Pacific Region, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
I know they're frustrated. I know the individuals who have spoken to you are struggling.
This is a fishery that was doing extremely well ten years ago. They had a very attractive fishery. It was very lucrative. It was a fishery that many people wanted to get into. Now it is a fishery in which many are choosing not to fish. Their earnings don't actually meet their costs, so they're actually choosing not to fish. That's why the total production is less than the allocation. It's very frustrating to them.
I take the point that some are raising, that they believe the increased production related to the Heiltsuk may be depressing prices. The evidence we have suggests that's probably not the case and that there are other things going on--the global market and the other things that I've explained--but it doesn't take away from their frustration, and I know that.
We believe that ultimately we have to find a long-term solution and that ultimately they need to be part of that solution. I'm not quite sure what that long-term solution is, but it has to be found by the Heiltsuks, the roe herring industry, including the spawn-on-kelp association, and us.
In 2006 we were able to get something most of us could live with, and we felt that the fishery for the roe herring went ahead very smoothly. We would hope to have at least that arrangement again in 2007. There are other significant interests at stake out here--the roe herring fishery--which are much larger. And it's important that that fishery be allowed to carry on, and with civility.
So I know they're frustrated. We're going to work with them. We have not given up. We remain confident we can find a solution. We think we're on the right path.
This is difficult. We understand that, but we think we've got the right approach here to find a solution.
Noon
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gerald Keddy
I'd like to thank our witness for appearing today. We appreciate that this is a fairly complicated issue, but certainly it's an issue that has affected the lives and livelihood of a number of fishers on the west coast, and it is important that we find some type of positive solution to it.
Thank you, Mr. Sprout.
We will go on to the next part of our meeting. Let's suspend for a few moments. We'll come back in camera.
[Proceedings continue in camera]