Fisheries Committee on June 13th, 2013

[David Ramsay]

Thanks, Mr. Donnelly.

On your first question, we have spent a great deal of time and effort on promoting healthy communities and activity amongst young people here in the Northwest Territories. It's not through this department but through the Department of Health and Social Services and also through our Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, who have responsibility for youth and sport here in the Northwest Territories. We have the Arctic Winter Games, and that's been a great success over the past number of decades. We continue to support that initiative.

We have to put programs in place that are going to get people active. We've had some issues with volunteer levels in the smaller communities. We're trying to make some strides there as well.

On the changes to the Fisheries Act, I wouldn't have any comments at this time. I believe that would be handled through our Department of Environment and Natural Resources. I'll certainly follow up with my colleague Minister Miltenberger on where his department is at in terms of any comments on the changes to the Fisheries Act.

Thank you.

[Fin Donnelly, NDP, New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC]

Thanks very much.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

Thank you, Mr. Donnelly.

We'll wrap up with Mr. Kamp.

[Randy Kamp, Conservative, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge—Mission, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, gentlemen. I have a lot of questions, but hopefully I can ask many of them in person if we're up there in late summer or fall. So I'll just ask one today.

Minister Ramsay, you've said that from time to time the fisherman have changed their opinion on the value of the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation. Sometimes there's a commitment to staying; sometimes there's some interest in leaving.

At those times when they're thinking that perhaps they could be outside of the corporation, what are they thinking in terms of the fishery and how it's going to be processed, marketed, and so on if they're not inside the corporation?

[David Ramsay]

Thank you very much.

They'd look at taking that on themselves. We've had numerous discussions with them. They'd be looking to this government to be able to fill the backstop and provide the support to the industry. We would have to step in and try to fill that role.

We've been working with both FFMC and the NWT Fishermen's Federation, trying to keep the two of them together, to try to find a path forward. We believe there's a path forward, and that is with our government, FFMC, and the fishermen's federation all working together to try to get the reinvestment back into the fishery on Great Slave Lake so that we can have the robust fishery on that lake that we've had in the past. That's our goal.

[Randy Kamp, Conservative, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge—Mission, BC]

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

Thank you very much, Mr. Kamp.

Gentlemen, on behalf of the committee, thank you very much for taking the time to meet with us. I thank you for your patience today as well. We certainly do appreciate it.

I know this committee is very interested in pursuing some of the issues that we talked about here today. Hopefully we'll be able to do that in person at some point in the near future.

Minister Ramsay, if you're in Saint John this summer, before you cross the bridge to Mr. MacAulay's neck of the woods, please don't hesitate to stop in. I look forward to meeting you as well.

Thank you very much, gentlemen, on behalf of the committee.

[David Ramsay]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will be in Saint John this summer. My mom and dad live in Moncton, so I go back to New Brunswick every summer. I'll probably take you up on your offer.

I certainly do look forward to your committee visiting the Northwest Territories. It's a beautiful part of the country. If your committee members haven't been here before, it's a great opportunity to see what's happening on the ground. We certainly look forward to hosting you here in the Northwest Territories in the near future.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

Thank you very much, Minister.

On that note, there being no further business, this committee now stands adjourned.