Fisheries Committee on May 5th, 2010

[David Bevan]

I'll have to get the exact numbers, unless my colleague has dug them out.

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

The big problem--

[David Bevan]

The total payments were $8.498 million.

[Roch Huppé]

There was another portion of the program also, for 2009-10. It was a five-year program when it was introduced last year. As Mr. Bevan said, there was $8.6 million that went out on what we call the short-term program. For the long-term program, basically $3.2 million out of $6.5 million went out. We have managed to re-profile--

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

What was that again?

[David Bevan]

There are two programs. One was the short-term program for income and that's over.

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

Is that over?

[David Bevan]

It's over.

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

So it will not be continued.

[David Bevan]

That's correct. It's over.

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

So the money that lapsed goes back to the federal treasury.

[David Bevan]

On that portion, that's correct.

[Roch Huppé]

On the longer-term program side, that money continues for another four years. As I was saying, there's $3.2 million out of $6.5 million earmarked for last year that has been spent, leaving close to $3 million; $2.9 million of that was actually re-profiled to future years, so we're not losing that money. We're going to be able to reinvest it.

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

But looking at the situation, the lobster price today is worse than it was a year ago. You're just in the management area of it. Over the next number of years as this rolls out, what projects, what programs, will be put in place to help sustain the fishery?

[David Bevan]

There is a program in place now for the longer term that would require the LFAs—lobster fishing areas—to identify how they wish to respond to the conservation requirements. They'd have to come forward, as has been done, with carapace size increases, with proposals for a reduction in the participation in the fishery and so on, and how they're going to contribute to that adjustment.

Those are still in place. We are working with the fishermen's organizations to try to get those proposals developed and in to us for consideration. They will be in play for several years in the longer-term program.

But there is no direct subsidy or anything of that nature with respect to prices. We have marketing programs; we have worked on that collectively with provinces. We have the long-term program that would help respond to conservation and also adjust effort to the available resource so that people can make a bit more money.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

Thank you.

Monsieur Lévesque.

[Yvon Lévesque, Bloc, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Before I ask my question, Mr. Bevan, I must say that I am very disappointed by the answer you gave my colleague about a potential disaster. We were talking about the Irving Whale. We were not talking about the Exxon Valdez. There is currently a glaring example, with the disaster happening in the Gulf of Mexico, and right here in this country we have a well off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, close to where we live. I, personally, would be concerned about the possibility that a disaster similar to what we saw in the Gulf of Mexico might occur anytime now in Newfoundland. We know that the same company would like to drill a well in the Beaufort Sea—no, not in the Beaufort Sea, but in Canada's North—making exactly the same mistakes it made in the Gulf of Mexico. As a Canadian, I would be very concerned about the lack of any plans. It would be like someone becoming ill with cancer without any studies ever having been conducted on this disease—in other words, the studies would only begin once someone actually became sick.

I very much hope that Ms. Mithani, who is a scientist, will pressure you to have studies conducted, in anticipation of a potential disaster. It may never happen, but prevention is a lot cheaper than cure. I think we should start looking at this. I believe it was Mr. Gardiner who said that this is the Department of Natural Resources' responsibility. But it is also a very major responsibility for Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

I am going to ask my question and you can respond to both items at once. As regards the seal harvest, you said that you could not authorize large-scale harvesting at this time, because you are trying to market seal by-products and negotiate with other countries to sell those products, so that there is no waste. Perhaps Mr. Huppé could also answer. Is there a budget in place for seal marketing activities, other than what is needed to secure markets? Are you targeting consumers in different countries?

[David Bevan]

There is no budget per se, but the Department has taken a lot of initiatives in that area. We have travelled considerably to discuss this with officials from European Union countries. We have also taken some initiatives to try and secure other markets. Based on our budget process, there is no specific budget allocated for seal, but there are budgets for a variety of different activities, and we have spent a lot of time looking for the best markets for both the skins and other products, such as oil. That is all I can tell you.

[Roch Huppé]

Budgets are not divided up that way. However, that does not mean there is no spending in that area.

In terms of the budget plan and the expense codes, our account chart is not structured that way. Quite a lengthy exercise would be required to identify those expenses.

[Yvon Lévesque, Bloc, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Ms. Mithani, I hope you will use your weight to give some people a nudge.

[Dr. Siddika Mithani]

Merci beaucoup.

As I walk into the department and look at the work that's being done, there is no other way but to work together in looking at how we address the whole issue of reaction, prevention, and rapid response. I'd like to stop at that.

[Yvon Lévesque, Bloc, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Do I have any time left, Mr. Chairman?

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

You have 20 seconds.

[Yvon Lévesque, Bloc, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Thank you very much.

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

What ever happened to Loyola Sullivan, the infamous Fishery Ambassador? We don't hear about him anymore. Where is he?