Evidence of meeting #15 for Fisheries and Oceans in the 41st Parliament, 2nd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was year.
A video is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Ryan Leef Conservative Yukon, YT
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
The minister described the department now as leaner, better integrated, and results based. It sounds like an Olympic athlete, so I'm looking forward to some great results this year.
Could I get a comment specifically on the small craft harbour in Pangnirtung and how that came about and the significance of that investment for the people in Nunavut with that particular small craft harbour?
Assistant Deputy Minister, Ecosystems and Fisheries Management - Operations, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
I'm just mindful of the time, because there's a bit of a long story around that one, but essentially, in a nutshell, the key thing there is that we have opportunities for the fishery in the Arctic context to expand. A key—not the key, but a key—limiting factor was the absence of sufficient harbour facilities to allow people to prosecute the fishery from the north, in the north, for the north.
The Pangnirtung harbour construction project, which concluded this year and has opened and has worked extremely well, has allowed people who want to engage in that fishery to have a proper base from which to work. It has allowed them to grow that fishery to some extent. We'll see where the industry goes in that area.
I wouldn't want for an instant to suggest that this is the key to massive expansion and all of a sudden everything will happen, but certainly it was identified as a key limiting factor, which the government I think has addressed.
Conservative
Ryan Leef Conservative Yukon, YT
It does build on your point, outside of the discussion around MPAs, with this example in a different realm, that oceans are very different, not just from one perspective.
Do you have any additional comments on that, on the social and economic differences of Canadian oceans?
Assistant Deputy Minister, Ecosystems and Fisheries Management - Operations, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Just to stay within the context of the small craft harbours program, I think when you look at where it puts its feet on the ground, so to speak, it acknowledges the difference in the three oceans. Certainly a key element in prioritizing where investments are made through the program is through the productivity of the fisheries themselves. The infrastructure is tied to support the prosecution primarily of the commercial fishery.
As you've just pointed out, because it operates differently in all three oceans, priorities are set a little differently. The configuration of the program is different. It's tailored to meet local circumstances as opposed to a single national template that applies uniformly across the country.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rodney Weston
Thank you very much.
Gentlemen, on behalf of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, I want to say thank you for your time today. Thank you for coming and answering as many questions as possible. It certainly is appreciated by all committee members.
There being no further business, this committee now stands adjourned.