Fisheries Committee on April 28th, 2014

[Jamie Snook]

That gets tangly. The board is certainly clear, in all of our recommendations, to distinguish the Nunatsiavut government as an allocation holder. That's who we always reference in our recommendations.

There is a corporation called the Torngat Fish Producers Co-op, for example, that has a licence. We distinguish those in industry separately from the Nunatsiavut government.

There's also a half a licence that is shared by the Nunatsiavut Group of Companies. The point being is that in reality all of the allocations that are going to the Nunatsiavut government right now are at such a low level that they're not out fishing and on their own anyway. They're in partnership arrangements with both offshore and inshore fleets that actually had the resource harvested.

That's not uncommon with aboriginal partnerships in the way that business is done all over the north today.

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

Just so I understand, I think your main point is that you think you should have a higher percentage of the resource than you currently get, based on a number of factors. But with the allocation that you do get as a government, I'm not sure I understand the relationship to Torngat. Do the Inuit people and government not fish it at all? Is it all contracted out to somebody else?

[Aaron Dale]

There's one owner-operator.

I'll maybe answer first by clarifying a question earlier, or trying to.

The land claims agreement speaks to allocations to the Nunatsiavut government, and the Torngat cooperative holds one of 17 offshore licences. I don't pretend to understand their relationship to the Nunatsiavut government, but it's my understanding that they're not an agent of the government in any way.

The Nunatsiavut Group of Companies, which I understand to be a crown corporation of the Nunatsiavut government, and again I don't understand that relationship, has half a licence. Leaving those 1.5 offshore licences out of the equation, the Nunatsiavut government designates its allocations to fishers in accordance with their fisheries development policy, and those designates typically.... There's one vessel owner-operator, and the other designates negotiate their own charters with vessels typically out of 2J south, so southern Labrador.

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

Okay. I think that's helpful.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

Thank you, Mr. Kamp.

Gentlemen, thank you very much for coming before the committee today and taking time out of your busy schedules to present to us and answer our questions. We certainly do appreciate it.

Thank you very much.

Mr. Snook, sorry—

[Jamie Snook]

I wouldn't mind making one comment.

I'm not sure who you'll invite as witnesses—the whole group—but it would probably be beneficial if the Nunatsiavut government themselves were witnesses and shared their perspective. It is a bit confusing, I guess, how this board is not the Nunatsiavut government. It's an independent board that makes recommendations to the minister.

It would be interesting for them to express their own views, and they could answer a lot of those questions in detail. I think that would be helpful to the committee.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

Thank you very much, Mr. Snook. We do appreciate that piece of advice. The committee will be meeting to go over the list of future witnesses as well.

Thank you very much, gentlemen, for your time.

Committee members, there's a piece of housekeeping.

A budget has been circulated that we need to take into consideration, so we can look after the expenses of our witnesses as they come before this committee. Take a look at it, and I'll look for a motion that the budget be adopted.

[Patricia Davidson, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

I so move.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

It's been moved by Ms. Davidson that the budget for committee witnesses be adopted.

On the question, Mr. Chisholm...?

[Robert Chisholm, NDP, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

With regard to these two witnesses, would they be under St. John's?

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

I'll let Chad explain that.

[Chad Mariage, Procedural Clerk]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

In preparing a budget of this type, we make our best guess as to what the witness list might look like. Once the total amount is adopted, regardless of where they come from, we're able to reimburse the witnesses. That is just to give us an idea of regional representation.

[Robert Chisholm, NDP, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

You have “City-unspecified (5 persons)”.

[Chad Mariage]

That's right. That could be if somebody—

[Robert Chisholm, NDP, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Contingency....

[Chad Mariage]

That's right. You're not limited to this.

[Robert Chisholm, NDP, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

So if we wanted to invite the Nunatsiavut....

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

If it goes beyond this budget, we come back for approval.

It has been moved by Ms. Davidson that the committee adopt the budget as presented.

(Motion agreed to)

There is one last item.

The subcommittee was scheduled to meet at 5:30 p.m. What I'm going to suggest is.... I just saw the witness list as provided by the NDP and the Liberals. I'm going to ask Chad to circulate those witness lists to all members and then the subcommittee will meet on Wednesday, and we'll settle on the witness list at that time.

Mr. Chisholm.

[Robert Chisholm, NDP, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Mr. Chairman, I think that there are some issues relative to some of the potential witnesses getting here in terms of the ice conditions, and when they're going to go fishing and so on.

I know Earle McCurdy, for example, from the FFAW, is in town now. It would certainly be convenient for him and cheaper for us, perhaps, if we could see him on Wednesday.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

We already have witnesses scheduled for Wednesday, Mr. Chisholm.

[Robert Chisholm, NDP, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Do we?

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

Yes, we do. Unfortunately, that doesn't work, but I want all committee members to have a look at this list here and go through it. Then we can have a fulsome discussion on it. I appreciate your point.

[Robert Chisholm, NDP, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Can we meet before Wednesday, as a subcommittee, for half an hour tomorrow?

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

I'll have a discussion outside of this meeting, but it's important that members take the time to make sure we look at the whole witness list and make sure we get everybody we want here included.

Certainly, I don't want to rush it. That's why we pass this budget. I understand what you're saying; however, we do have witnesses who were already approved by the committee in the original motion who are booked for Wednesday's meeting.

Mr. Chisholm.

[Robert Chisholm, NDP, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Mr. Chairman, I appreciate all of that. I'm getting a sense of urgency out of Newfoundland and Labrador and the industry, and the people who are affected. There have been protests and all the rest of it, and I think if we want to contribute to this in a positive way, then I think the sooner we can get our work done, the better. That's all.