Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. On behalf of the Irish Loop Development Board, I'd like to welcome you to Newfoundland and Labrador, and particularly the Avalon region. We wish you the best of luck in your deliberations and I hope you enjoy your stay in the province.
Just to put my region in some context, it begins in Bay Bulls on the southern shore, and you just heard from the mayor of Bay Bulls and the chair of the local harbour authority there, and runs down along the southern shore and over through St. Mary's Bay and carries in as far as Riverhead, both of them with bookends that are DFO harbour infrastructure facilities, and a number of other facilities in between. We have a population of about 8,000 people in the region. We have five crab plants and two other groundfish operations.
My purpose today, really, is to impress upon all committee members the significance of the Government of Canada's investment in marine infrastructure to the coastal people of our province. I speak today from the perspective of an economic development agency, but I also serve as a municipal councillor in the town of Witless Bay, which is a traditional fishing community with a crab plant, and we also have a DFO facility there.
The development organization I represent is one of 20 regional economic development boards in the province. Our objective is to foster economic development in our region. I can say that in my own region, the Irish Loop, much of our future growth remains dependent upon the fishery and the sea, and I appreciate the opportunity to present our unique perspective to this group today.
When I was young and growing up in Fermeuse on the southern shore, I could look out my front window at a fish plant that had a government wharf attached and I could look out my back window and there was another facility there as well. My mother wouldn't allow me on the wharf in the back because there was always a concern that you might fall over and not be recovered.
Suffice it to say that the fishery then was much different from what it is today. The focus was on cod. Operations were family based, and as you've already heard, they were generally run out of smaller vessels. More often than not, those enterprises used their own facilities for berthage, at least, if not for off-loading. There was a time when fishing stages and such premises lined the coastline in our communities. That isn't the case today.
When it came time to off-load, these vessels would generally come alongside the wharf, more often than not owned by the plant owner. As I said, today's fishery is quite different. It's conducted from larger vessels that require larger berths and deeper water, meaning these traditional family-owned facilities are no longer adequate. Many of them have gone into decline.
The point I wish to make is that the effect of the moratorium in 1992, rather than diminishing the need for investment in harbour infrastructure, has instead increased the demand on DFO facilities. Larger vessels mean larger facilities are needed to off-load and to tie up in safety.
We prepared the region's first strategic plan back in 1998, and we emphasized an investment in fisheries infrastructure within that plan. We have continued our partnership with industry over the years--we maintain a seat for harvesters on our board--and we have created an inshore fisheries network to continue to provide a forum for harvesters in our region's strategic economic plan.
I relate the investments made in fishing infrastructure to any other investment in infrastructure made by the federal or provincial governments. For our harvesters and our processors in my area, the government wharf is akin to the Trans-Canada Highway or Pearson airport; it is a critical piece in the transportation and production chain, and it's a good investment. Increasingly, these investments are made in partnership with local communities through local harbour authorities, where government and community stakeholders come together to provide leadership and support in meeting local fisheries development and, by implication, regional economic development needs.
Speaking from the perspective of someone involved in economic and community development, this represents a very unique partnership and a model of cooperation between the Government of Canada and rural communities. I would be remiss if I didn't take an opportunity to mention the good work that is being done by your officials out there in the field, people such as Bill Goulding and Gary Sooley. I concur with some of the remarks that were made before the break. In my experience, at least, when you call these people, they are there, and they maintain excellent relationships with the community groups and organizations they work with.
In my region today there are over 20 facilities managed by various local harbour authorities. They continue to serve many vessels, and they offer a prospect for a more sustainable future for our communities. There is a trend, although it's not the primary focus; these facilities are increasingly important in relation to broader economic development. We do see an emerging pleasure and recreational boating sector that provides an additional range of users, which leads to new sources of revenue for local harbour authorities. Based on a recent assessment presently being concluded by my board, I expect this trend to continue into the future.
DFO's support for harbour infrastructure represents a unique relationship with the coastal people of this country, and the support provided in partnership with local harbour authorities and users is a very tangible expression of the continued significance and importance of the Government of Canada in meeting the needs of rural Canadians. Continued investment in harbour and fisheries infrastructure is needed now more than ever as the fishery in our province continues its transition into a more modern industry with an emphasis on larger vessels and enhanced quality.
On behalf of my board and the fishing interests we represent, it is my hope that these remarks and the discussion we have afterwards will contribute to a greater understanding of the importance of this program so that together we may ensure that this valuable investment is continued into the future and perhaps enhanced so that we can meet the long-term needs of this very valuable industry in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Thank you very much.