Fisheries Committee on Feb. 24th, 2014

[Ruth Salmon]

It's a real opportunity for aquaculture. Unfortunately we know the wild fishery is not going to increase, it's going to stay level at best.

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

That's right.

[Ruth Salmon]

So I think it does provide that huge opportunity for us to have a bigger role in it, and at the same time provide a healthy, high quality product. I think that deficit does provide a real opportunity for us.

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

I see also that they have removed the moratorium on the farms in British Columbia. How do you see that affecting? Did you answer that?

[Ruth Salmon]

No, it's a good question. That's going to be a very helpful move because there has been no growth in British Columbia, and British Columbia does have a lot of potential to grow both shellfish and finfish. This just is back to business as usual whereby companies can submit amendments for greater efficiencies, changes, look at new sites.

In some cases some of the new sites will be in a more environmentally sustainable location than the existing ones.

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

Could you elaborate a bit on that? Would that be farther from the coast? The concern is that jobs will be lost where there is more need to put quota.

[Ruth Salmon]

There are just a couple of examples, because now we know more than we did in the eighties in terms of what makes a good site, and so with no ability to make changes...we, in a couple of cases, can now make some changes that will be environmentally sustainable changes. It just requires that ability for government to accept amendments. So now they're doing that, we're going to see some positive things happen. We'll not only see growth happening, but we'll see some good changes for the environment too.

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

Thank you.

As Ms. Davidson has indicated, we've heard a lot in the last two years and had a lot of people before this committee on closed containment and the open-net concept. I'd like you just to elaborate a bit on the cost of production in the closed containment. Do you see that being where we could see a large expansion?

[Ruth Salmon]

To date the viability is not there. So if we're looking to increase production to service new markets and to help Canada move forward, it's not the area that's going to give it to us immediately because there's still a lot of work to be done, as your colleague said earlier. So I think it's important that we do that work and we continue to do research, and then both will be able to move forward.

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

You would see it as a requirement for the Government of Canada to make sure that we have the best technology possible for the closed containment.

[Ruth Salmon]

Absolutely, but I think we have opportunities in our existing traditional farming methods that we haven't taken advantage of, that are sustainable and responsible, that we can quickly move forward on so that we can make up some of the loss that we've experienced, and at the same time not give up on research and continued efforts into other technology. Absolutely, when it comes to technology, we've improved technology of farm systems, technology of monitoring equipment. The technology just continues to improve, and that also needs to involve closed containment as well.

[John Weston, Conservative, West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC]

A point of clarification, Mr. Chair.

Did I hear that the question was, is it a requirement of the Government of Canada to make sure that the industry has the best technology? Is that what the question was?

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

Mr. MacAulay, maybe you could clarify that.

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

I indicated that all governments need to be involved in all the promoting, the marketing, and improving of the technology. I also said that all governments are at fault when it comes to the fishery. What I made as an example was if another industry—

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

Please continue with your line of questioning, Mr. MacAulay.

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I do not wish to criticize anybody, but the only thing that I see is that there's always a problem with the fishery. No matter what goes on there's always a problem with the fishery. But you would have to agree, Ms. Salmon, that 50 million tonnes per year in 15 years' time is certainly a massive opening for the fishing industry, and it's going to have to be your groups, people like you and your farming, whether it's closed containment or open-net concept, who will have to produce this food, because there's going to be no more in the wild.

[Ruth Salmon]

I absolutely agree that food security is a key issue. Where we need to work in partnership with government is to find that regulatory and legislative reform. Industry has the money to invest. Industry will invest in new technology. So I guess in answer to your question about whether it's government's responsibility, in partnership we have a responsibility, but it is not industry that's asking government for money. Industry will invest in new technology, and has done that, if it's the appropriate technology to enhance and improve their business. So we're not looking for any kind of a handout; we're looking for a partnership so that we have a regulatory framework that is secure and we have business certainty. There is money to invest that's going elsewhere.

Maybe just a point to add is that when I talked to my salmon farming members across Canada, they've said that globally only 7% of all the money is coming into Canada for salmon farming, and it should be 20% or 25%. So the money is there if the environment is conducive for growth.

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

I fully agree with you, and I am certainly not criticizing any government. I'm just encouraging...and indicating that I do not believe a lot of governments have done what they needed to do, because of the situation that we're in today. We have an opportunity to bring a lot of new money into this country. It's right here. The demand is going to be needed. It's now a job for governments to decide they're going to invest and produce this product.

In regard to eco-certification, I can't help but think about what happened to the seal industry. And it's not the seal industry itself; we have probably one of the most humane seal industries in the world. But our opponents were able to indicate to the world that it was not that way.

When you look at what's taking place in this country with sea lice, etc., do you see that becoming a problem? And looking at the eco-certification, what do you see developing as a difficulty?

We want to do this right. We want to get a good piece of this money.

[Ruth Salmon]

I agree. I think it may allude to my answer a while back. There are challenges in any kind of farming operation, whether it's health of the animal or pest control or a number of things. Globally the industry is experiencing, and moving forward on, all those fronts. Yes, we are challenged with sea lice; so are other countries. They're doing research, as we are.

I don't see it impacting our certification. In fact, the way we operate and manage our farms is absolutely first-rate. That doesn't mean that there are not challenges we have to deal with. If a fish is sick, we have to treat it. But all of that is under strict regulations and third-party audit.

So we know there's not really a problem with certification.

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

Thank you very much. I'm done.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

Thank you, Mr. MacAulay.

Mr. Sopuck.

[Robert Sopuck, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette, MB]

Thanks.

Just before I start, I'd like to make a comment about Mr. Chisholm's intervention. I would make the point that given the immediate negative and aggressive questioning of Ms. Salmon regarding her industry, it is completely understandable that some of us would come to the conclusion that net-pen aquaculture will fall into line with all of the rural natural resource industries that the NDP would like to see out of business.

In terms of a specific question, Ms. Salmon, regarding your comments about how you would like streamlined and efficient regulations, can you be more specific on exactly what you would like to see in terms of regulatory change?

[Ruth Salmon]

I think I mentioned to you that we've launched this national strategy and are working closely with DFO and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to look at what reforms are needed. We've developed a policy document that we tabled in November with DFO. We're looking at all the line items of things that we think need to be changed, and they agree. I think we're making some good progress on having our requirements in line with their work-plan—some specific policies, some specific regulations that need to be refined, tweaked. I can send you the document.

[Robert Sopuck, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette, MB]

Could you give me some specific examples, just a few? Are we talking about the siting of the facilities, or the rotation of the facilities? What are we talking about?

[Ruth Salmon]

One of the things just right off the top that needs to be refined is licence and lease terms. We feel it needs to be consistent across the country. In some provinces it's as much as 20 years, and in some provinces it's an annual licence. Those are the kinds of things that I think DFO is open to looking at. We're right now in the middle of what's called the aquaculture activities regulations. It's going to allow companies the ability to use certain substances if they're approved. That hasn't been the case.

There's a number of them, and I'm happy to share the document so you get a better look. But I'm pleased to say that we're getting some good support from DFO on this.