Evidence of meeting #27 for Fisheries and Oceans in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was little.
Chairman, North Rustico Harbour Authority
No, that's a separate harbour. Each harbour has a separate harbour authority.
Conservative
Conservative
Blaine Calkins Conservative Wetaskiwin, AB
By way of driving, when I stayed at Stanley Bridge, it was only about a 10- or 15-minute drive over from Stanley Bridge, and of course Cavendish is right there as well.
I asked this question on an earlier round. I think I went fishing out of North Rustico too, so I've actually gone around the breakwater. I know exactly what you're talking about, because he kept it very close. I think the skipper was from Bob from Bob's Deep-Sea Fishing. Anyway, we had a great time.
Chairman, North Rustico Harbour Authority
How come you didn't come with me?
Conservative
Blaine Calkins Conservative Wetaskiwin, AB
Well, it looks as if I'm going to have to come back and give it another try.
Chairman, North Rustico Harbour Authority
You will have to come back. We'll give you a little step and a fiddle tune.
Conservative
Blaine Calkins Conservative Wetaskiwin, AB
But I went out there and took my boys fishing because I love fishing. That's why I'm passionate about fisheries right across our country. I had a really good time out there.
But I understand what you're talking about. I just wanted to say I think it's fantastic. It's a little bit off topic right now, but I've kind of done the math. If I remember correctly, you take anywhere from 13 to 14 fishermen out for a couple of hours three times a day. You don't always get the 14, or whatever the case might be.
Conservative
Blaine Calkins Conservative Wetaskiwin, AB
I think it's a great way to supplement the income, and I certainly applaud you guys for making an effort.
Chairman, North Rustico Harbour Authority
Just off the topic for a minute, we're in kind of a dilemma. We're hoping Minister Hearn will give the charter boats--there are only eight or nine of us--a couple of fish or something that tourists can catch. If we don't get those couple of cod and we only get a few little mackerel, I don't know if we'll be able to succeed this year.
Chairman, North Rustico Harbour Authority
The scientists want everything closed down on cod completely. Quebec would like to see a little fishery, and I'm sure in Newfoundland, his own province, there will be a little fishery. What we plan to do as a group is go to you and say, “You have a quota in your back pocket for codfish, 40 tonnes there that you're not using and can't use. We'd like to buy that for two months and use that.”
Conservative
Blaine Calkins Conservative Wetaskiwin, AB
My understanding is that the quota that was being used.... I don't remember which boat I asked the question on, but it was actually a quota that was purchased from a native fisher, and that's the quota that was split up among the group of fishermen running those tours. So I'm not sure how that works.
But we're a little bit off topic. I just wanted to say I really enjoyed it and I thought it was great.
I asked this question previously. When it comes to the boats that were there, I saw all the lobster boats. I didn't see any tourist boats in North Rustico or in Stanley Bridge, only people going out on the sea themselves. Local people might put in a recreational boat, but there were no yachts.
Chairman, North Rustico Harbour Authority
The sand is why we can't get them in.
Conservative
Blaine Calkins Conservative Wetaskiwin, AB
I would think somebody would want to come in and spend some time there, of all of the harbours on Prince Edward Island. I mean, the national park is right there. Of course Lucy Maud is buried just down the road, and you have all those things there.
Chairman, North Rustico Harbour Authority
No, the entrance to the harbour is impossible. We have a marina down where you went out from. That's what was given to us in divestiture. They were going to tear it down, so I asked Jim Morriscey at the time, “Give it to us and we'll repair it, because if you tear it down there will be no place for boats, and the sand is going to go out into the harbour and everything.” So he gave us the $40,000 and we fixed it up.
Conservative
Conservative
Blaine Calkins Conservative Wetaskiwin, AB
Does that generate some revenue? Is that owned by the harbour authority?
Conservative
Blaine Calkins Conservative Wetaskiwin, AB
And what does that do as far as the tourism revenue generation goes for you ?