Fisheries Committee on March 11th, 2008

[Michelle d'Auray]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

With regard to the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation, a number of studies are under way since the appointment of the new president, who is very aware of the interest and opportunities that may be provided through dual marketing. He, with his board, is also considering opportunities for piloting some different approaches and partnerships.

That said, there is a significant role for the members on the board of that organization, a majority of whom represent the provinces and territories. Any shift or change in the direction of the corporation would need the full support of and would largely be initiated by the provincial and/or territorial members.

I have spoken to some of my provincial counterparts to encourage their active participation in the discussions surrounding the options for partnership or piloting that the corporation may want to consider in the near future.

I don't know whether you want to add anything.

[David Bevan]

I think it's clear that the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation is subject to the same kinds of pressures that the fishing industry is more generally. The increased Canadian dollar, competition from China, etc., have put a lot of downward pressure on prices paid to fishermen, and that always causes some concerns.

I think the general approach we took with respect to oceans to plate...maybe lake to plate is also needed. We need to look at a more integrated approach to management of fisheries and not leave the provinces to set quotas for the management regimes, the fishermen to fish, and then have the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation buy that fish and try to get it to market. We need to try to integrate that process. That takes cooperation between the harvesters, the processor, in this case the FFMC, and the provinces in order to try to reduce waste and take advantage of the stocks that are there. We aren't fishing them to their maximum potential; they can sustain more harvest. They aren't being harvested at their sustainable level; we're under it at this point.

There's a lot of opportunity to improve performance, and that's reflected in some of the outcomes of studies looking at potential.

[The Chair, Conservative, Fabian Manning]

Mr. Keddy.

[Wajid Khan, Conservative, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you to our witnesses.

I have a couple of questions. I want to pick up with Monsieur Da Pont on the movement of the icebreaker St. Laurent, in particular, and the large icebreaking vessels to Newfoundland. The minister appeared at a committee here about a year ago and at that time certainly reassured us there would be no loss of jobs, that the personnel onboard the icebreakers would be moving with them, and they would travel back and forth.

When you speak to the personnel themselves, they're worried their pensionable time may change and they could be in a different job category. Do we have some reassurance for these individuals that the job they're doing now and the rate of pay they're now receiving in their final years before they're pensioned off would remain the same?

[Commr George Da Pont]

We've made two specific commitments, Mr. Chairman.

First, we've given people a five-year transition period. Of course, anyone who is within two or three years of retiring and getting their pension will not be affected in any way because the five-year transition period is obviously quite a significant amount of time.

Second, we've also indicated to people that no one is going to lose their job and no one is going to be forced to move physically. We have a working committee of representatives of the employees with their bargaining agents, and we're looking at placing any individuals over the next few years into at least comparable jobs in the maritime region.

[Wajid Khan, Conservative, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

The other question—if I can interrupt because I'm running out of time, Mr. Da Pont—will be on the midshore vessels that will replace some of these heavier ice vessels. When can we expect these midshore vessels in Nova Scotia in particular?

[Commr George Da Pont]

The request for proposals closed a couple of weeks ago. The bids are now under evaluation. I hope we will have contracts issued this year, and we still hope the first vessel will be delivered in 2010.

[Wajid Khan, Conservative, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

That is excellent.

Mr. Bevan, in checking out the COSEWIC website, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, and I know you're very familiar with them, they now have the possibility of listing Atlantic halibut and bluefin tuna. I'd like the department's thoughts on this.

Certainly Atlantic halibut in my area is a very good fishery and one that appears to be thriving. Is there a possibility of being listed? There are areas in eastern Canada, particularly in southwestern Nova Scotia, where there is a fair concentration of halibut. Why would we paint the entire area with one brush? Where are they going with this? Especially on tuna, how do we list tuna?

[David Bevan]

Tuna is an iconic fish and it is obviously in trouble. Canada has worked with some of the other countries in ICAAT to try to prevent setting quotas too high. We have not been successful. It's been fished to a level much higher than scientists advise and it's also been overfished. More fish are being taken than is set in the quota. It has some significant issues.

We are going to be noting to COSEWIC that Canada does not manage that fishery alone. It's a highly migratory fish population that goes from one side of the Atlantic to the other and through many EEZs. It's not something we could put a rebuilding plan in on our own. Perhaps COSEWIC should be informed of the limitations of a Canadian response. We think it's best to work within the international community to try to achieve the necessary conservation outcomes.

With respect to halibut, we'll have to see what approach will be taken in terms of how they'll identify the various populations. We will provide information to COSEWIC to ensure they have the best information from DFO science as they go through their deliberations.

[The Chair, Conservative, Fabian Manning]

Thank you, Mr. Bevan.

Thank you, Mr. Keddy.

That concludes our time. We have a few minutes of committee business we have to deal with. We'll take a two-minute recess and reconvene.

Thank you again to our witnesses for their presence here this morning.

[Proceedings continue in camera]