Fisheries Committee on May 29th, 2007

Evidence of meeting #57 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 budget.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Small Craft Harbours

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Cal Hegge Assistant Deputy Minister, Human Resources and Corporate Services, Department of Fisheries and Oceans

Robert Bergeron Director General, Small Craft Harbours, Department of Fisheries and Oceans

Micheline Leduc Director, Harbour Operations and Engineering, Department of Fisheries and Oceans

12:50 p.m.

Director General, Small Craft Harbours, Department of Fisheries and Oceans

Robert Bergeron

Micheline can talk about that. We're considering these matters, but the cost to acquire, build or extend a breakwater is often very high. In addition, it's not always a solution to recurring dredging. The investment is costly, in view of what could be avoided year after year in terms of recurring dredging. It is often more economical to continue dredging than to extend to breakwater.

12:55 p.m.

Director, Harbour Operations and Engineering, Department of Fisheries and Oceans

Micheline Leduc

We are aware of the costs of recurring dredging, in view of the fact that we get the impression that it's like throwing money into the water. So we're very sensitive to that; that's for sure.

Last week, a group of engineers met and analyzed the situation in an attempt to see whether there were other ways of doing things. Obviously, each case is different. Climatic conditions and geography differ from place to place. We are sensitive to the fact that that's expensive. You have to look at the costs and benefits of breakwaters before determining whether maintenance dredging should be set aside. It's a case-by-case issue.

We also have to say that, for each case, we conduct technical analyses, wave disturbance analyses and analyses of the technical costs associated with that approach. They have to be considered among the overall costs. That's what we do when we study each case, in order to determine the best long-term option for serving the fishing clientele.

12:55 p.m.

Bloc

Raynald Blais Bloc Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC

Thank you very much.

12:55 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Gerald Keddy

Very good, sir.

I'd like to thank our witnesses for appearing today. It was a very good discussion.

Certainly this committee has always been interested in small craft harbours. It's a committee that's tried to work proactively with this government, other governments, and other chairs before me.

If there's anything we can do to assist you folks in getting more funding, it's our wish to attempt to do so. We're trying to be helpful.

Thank you very much.

The meeting is adjourned.