Evidence of meeting #51 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 outfitters.
A recording is available from Parliament.
President, Fédération québécoise pour le saumon atlantique
Are you talking about the size or the number of salmon?
Conservative
President, Fédération québécoise pour le saumon atlantique
It's quite variable in Quebec. As I mentioned earlier, in 2014, about 50% of salmon populations were returned to the river. As for larger regions, the North Shore is currently having more difficulty compared to the Gaspé Peninsula when it comes to the run of large salmon. The Gaspé Peninsula is doing fairly well. I would even say that fishing is really very good, if not excellent, there. The North Shore and Saguenay regions have the most need.
Does that answer your question?
Conservative
Robert Sopuck Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette, MB
Yes. I'm also interested in your habitat projects. What kind of habitat conservation projects do you undertake in Quebec?
President, Fédération québécoise pour le saumon atlantique
The Government of Quebec is currently developing a legal approach to designate what a salmon river is and to establish guidelines for that. The salmon rivers that will be designated will have a special status. It will in some way make it possible to develop special legislation for protecting those environments. As a result, all development, restoration or infrastructure projects will be subject to specific regulations and standards.
Of course, the North Shore project that we spoke about earlier is very important for creating new salmon habitats. Those rivers can now produce 10,000 salmon a year.
Conservative
Robert Sopuck Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette, MB
Are you familiar with the federal government's or DFO's recreational fisheries conservation partnerships program? That's a specific DFO program to assist groups like yours with habitat projects. Just recently 43 projects were announced for Quebec alone. Are you familiar with that program?
President, Fédération québécoise pour le saumon atlantique
Yes, we are quite familiar with it. In fact, the three largest projects in this program, in Canada, were completed using our North Shore program. We paired that program with the North Shore program to realize these three large projects. But the program you are talking about is a little lacking in terms of the percentage of funding allocated to the projects.
The North Shore program funds the entire project, while the program you mentioned funds only 50%. In many cases, local organizations have difficulty finding the other 50%, which prevents major projects from being carried out.
In the list of projects you have before you, you will see that they are mainly small projects. For the North Shore program, we already have funds from the program. So we were able to add the other 50%, which made it possible to carry out major projects, including the development of very large segments of rivers.
Conservative
Robert Sopuck Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette, MB
The program was changed shortly after it was announced. So you can get 25% from other levels of government, and the other 25% from the group can also be in kind, the work that you do.
I was interested in the catch and release rules that apply to Atlantic salmon now. What do you know about the hooking mortality of Atlantic salmon? My information tells me that most of the salmon that are released survive. Has that been your experience?
President, Fédération québécoise pour le saumon atlantique
Yes, absolutely. Studies have been done in Quebec specifically on that. Our federation produced a video that shows people how to safely release salmon back into the water. More and more fishers use a single hook, which reduces the probability of mortality.
Also, when river water becomes warm, managers generally stop or reduce fishing to allow the salmon to avoid fighting in low-oxygen conditions.
Conservative
Robert Sopuck Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette, MB
From previous witnesses, it's become apparent that open ocean mortality is quite significant, starting from the estuary and all the way to Greenland and back. The issue of striped bass came up in New Brunswick. Is there a problem with striped bass at the mouths of rivers in Quebec?
President, Fédération québécoise pour le saumon atlantique
In Quebec, there are two populations of striped bass. There is the one that comes from New Brunswick and migrates along the shores of the Gaspé Peninsula to the tip of Gaspé, and the one from the St. Lawrence, which was introduced about 15 years ago. The Chaleur Bay population is said to be a migratory species. It migrates in its nordic distribution area, which is the Gaspé Peninsula Shore, in Quebec.
When it arrives on the shore, the small salmon, which are called smolts, have already left Chaleur Bay. There is no conflict between the arrival of the striped bass and the departure of the smolts to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Quebec has done scientific studies on the Chaleur Bay population to demonstrate this finding. So we can say that there really is no problem in Chaleur Bay.
However, the St. Lawrence population is growing and is spread out over the entire waterway. Studies are being done to ensure—since it is a resident population—that there is no impact on the downstream migration of smolts on the North Shore and in Saguenay—Lac-St-Jean.
Conservative
Robert Sopuck Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette, MB
In your testimony did you talk about your organization undertaking salmon stocking programs? I thought I heard you say that.
President, Fédération québécoise pour le saumon atlantique
No. Here in Quebec, it's a government responsibility. In the Quebec government's new salmon management plan, which should be ready for spring 2016, the possibility of fish stocking is being considered. There is currently no fish stocking program in Quebec at the moment, except for the project I mentioned earlier where $20 million was allocated to restore the Romaine River. The FQSA is carrying out a fish-farming project there, where the small local population in the Romaine River is reproduced to ensure that it increases and can be reintroduced to its habitat.
Conservative
Robert Sopuck Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette, MB
Do you have any information on the survival and growth of the Atlantic salmon that have been stocked?
President, Fédération québécoise pour le saumon atlantique
No, unfortunately. The Romaine program is only in its first year. Data will be published in two or three years. For the moment, we are still in the labs. Fish stocking should take place starting this year. The program will run over 20 years.
Conservative
Liberal
Lawrence MacAulay Liberal Cardigan, PE
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I certainly welcome the witnesses, who, I might add, are very informed.
You indicated, Mr. Boudreault, that some of the programs were only funded by 50%. I think, of course, this is why the Liberal Party and I, if you check correctly, were so insistent that we have this study and to make sure that people like you were able to present to the committee the problems that you face in your province.
I understand it quite well, but I'd like you to do some explaining to the committee about what problems this creates, because there are areas that cannot come up, no matter if you're talking about fish enhancement development programs or whatever. If there's a 50% requirement on smaller areas and smaller groups, it just means that they're not able to participate in programs.
I'd like you to expand on that so that the government would fully understand how important it is that they fund these things properly.
Thank you.
President, Fédération québécoise pour le saumon atlantique
Thank you for giving me an opportunity to provide some clarification.
In the regions of Quebec, managers of salmon rivers are non-profit organizations. As you may suspect, there are a lot of volunteers within these organizations. The financial aspect is critical for them. When the time comes to invest in development projects, to stabilize banks or restore salmon habitats—we're talking about spawning grounds or ditches—they don't have the financial means required to take on 50% of the envelope because it may cost up to $100,000, $200,000 or $300,000.
I would like to give you an example. On the Saint John River, in Saguenay, a log jam over a kilometre long blocked the transit of salmon while inhibiting the descent of the smolts. It took two or three years to secure the funds to correct the problem. We used this program. If I'm not mistaken, it took $400,000 or $500,000 to do the work. The people had to work very hard to find half of the budget. Certainly, this formula prevents organizations from having access to a program.
Why has the North Shore program been successful? Because there was 100% funding. We submitted an application, and the projects were filed.
Liberal
Lawrence MacAulay Liberal Cardigan, PE
Sir, it also means that you're losing smolts at that time too, and there's a loss of fish I would believe too.
President, Fédération québécoise pour le saumon atlantique
Exactly. There is a direct impact.
Liberal
Lawrence MacAulay Liberal Cardigan, PE
Thank you very much, and we hope that's well understood.
You mentioned Greenland and the fish they take—about 58 tonnes. I was not aware that they were not allowed to sell the fish. Did I understand you correctly? What happens? The general rates went up, the take increased by about 300% over the years, if I understand correctly. What took place? Where are the fish going? It's also our stock.
President, Fédération québécoise pour le saumon atlantique
Yes, indeed, part of it is our stocks, but part of it is also from northern Europe.
Previously, these people took about 20 tons of fish. There was an increase because they built a processing plant. Before, consumption was local; families ate unprocessed salmon. The processing plant allowed them to increase their domestic market. That's how they were able to develop the commercial salmon industry.
Liberal
Lawrence MacAulay Liberal Cardigan, PE
Is there a great need in the investment area? I'd like you to elaborate on the required investment for your province—and I think eastern Canada as far as that's concerned—and how we're to maintain or increase the supply of salmon in our rivers. With the decline taking place, how would you explain to the committee what's needed to reverse the decline and to make sure that the numbers increase instead of decrease?
