Fisheries Committee on June 5th, 2018

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

Commissioner, I'm asking you again if you can submit to the committee by the end of this week the letter from the ATIP commissioner that directed you to not disclose that document.

[Jeffery Hutchinson]

We applied the confidentiality provisions as we understand them. We didn't seek direction from the commissioner.

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

Commissioner, in previous testimony, Deputy Commissioner Smith outlined a schedule for receiving the first four vessels from Seaspan. Can you tell us when you expect to have the first three OFSVs in full operational capability? When do you expect to have the OOSV achieve FOC? Can you also table with the clerk the total estimated cost for each of these vessels?

[Jeffery Hutchinson]

We expect to have the first of the OFSVs—offshore fisheries science vessels—in full operation for the science season that starts summer 2019. The following two OFSV ships are expected to be in full operation for the following science season. We do not have a final price on the oceanographic vessel, as we haven't entered into a construction contract for it.

We'd be happy to provide financial information related to the OFSV project, subject to any confidentiality that we have to apply.

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

Thank you.

Commissioner, can you table with the clerk by the end of this week a full outline of funds allocated to the Canadian Coast Guard to acquire new icebreakers, which are not currently contracted under the NSS, national shipbuilding strategy, and can you advise the committee when we can expect to see the department issue its first RFP for these new-build ships? Will it be 2018, 2019, or later?

[Jeffery Hutchinson]

We'd be happy to provide the information that we have, subject to any confidence that may apply.

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

Thank you.

Commissioner, can you outline for the committee what vessels the Canadian Coast Guard has available to respond to an oil or chemical spill in the high Arctic if one were to occur this coming season, this coming winter? Please provide a response to the clerk in writing before the end of this week so we might review this before the summer recess.

[Jeffery Hutchinson]

We'd be happy to provide information, Madam Clerk, and we'd be happy to provide an outline of that answer now, if that is what's being asked for.

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

I would like it in writing, if possible.

[Jeffery Hutchinson]

We'd be happy to provide that.

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

Thank you.

Commissioner, we understand that the Canadian Coast Guard's Terry Fox is a converted icebreaker, and it has been a workhorse. The ship has recently run aground. Can you explain how important the Terry Fox is to the fleet and what your plans are to replace it, given the fact that a replacement for the ship was not contracted to Seaspan as part of the national shipbuilding program?

[Jeffery Hutchinson]

Thank you for the question. The Terry Fox is indeed an extremely important ship in our fleet as one of our two heavy icebreakers. As noted, the ship did touch ground and will be undergoing a period of dry-dock repair. It will be back in service as part of our Arctic program this summer, and we're able to cover all Arctic requirements in our program by reallocating resources internally.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bernadette Jordan]

Thank you, Mr. Hutchinson.

We received the documentation, which will be distributed after this meeting—it just came in yesterday—that you're looking for in the MV Aiviq. That will be distributed after this meeting. Thank you.

Mr. Finnigan, you have five minutes please.

[Pat Finnigan, Liberal, Miramichi—Grand Lake, NB]

Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you to all the witnesses for being here this morning. I'm just going to ask a question, and anyone can answer it.

As you know, in my riding of Miramichi, with the Miramichi River, there is an abundance of striped bass. It's usually a good thing. It is a good fish to eat, and it's fun to fish it. I've witnessed that myself. We had the striped bass cup last week, with over 1,000 people participating—counting everybody on the water. It was all good. The issue, however, that we're hearing from some people along the Miramichi River is around at what point it could be an overabundance of that particular species, which is native to the Miramichi.

The Miramichi is, particularly a little to the southwest, as far as we know, the spawning ground for the whole gulf. This committee was on the road last fall. We were all the way up to Cape Breton as well as Gaspé. They've never seen the amount of striped bass that we're seeing now. Sunday there was a rally. A lot of people were concerned. I attended that rally to hear their concerns and answer their questions.

One of their concerns is that we don't have, or at least they wouldn't know, what the upper reference point would be. When do we have so many that it could affect other species, particularly the Atlantic salmon, but also the shad, the smelts, some of the trouts, and other species? The striped bass is a very predatory fish. One of the questions they asked was what the upper reference point would be. Have we established that? At what point would we apply measures or expand the catch allocation?

[Catherine Blewett]

Thank you very much for the question, and thanks very much for your work with the department as we continue to look into the prevalence of the species.

Sylvie would have the answer in terms of the reference levels and the impact on other species.

[Sylvie Lapointe]

Thank you.

As you have noted, this is a species that's certainly very abundant right now, and it's expanding. As such, we did increase the bag limit this year and this season. We're also looking at commercial fishing opportunities for some first nations.

Having said that, we are taking quite a precautionary, progressive approach to increasing harvests of that stock. It wasn't that long ago that it was a species of concern and in quite poor condition, so we're trying to be as precautionary as possible. We're still trying to understand the dynamics of the population as well as its impacts on other species, including Atlantic salmon, as you mentioned.

There was a study we conducted with the Atlantic Salmon Federation that did find some smolts of Atlantic salmon in the stomachs of striped bass, but it ranged from about 2% to 17%. We are continuing work this summer to look at stomach contents, working with harvesters and outfitters.

[Pat Finnigan, Liberal, Miramichi—Grand Lake, NB]

Thank you.

Since last year, we have implemented a river closure at a certain point, especially where the spawning occurs. This happens at a certain time of year, which is actually this week for this year. A lot of people are questioning the science behind that because a closure was never implemented when the numbers were low, and now there is a closure on the river. They are asking why we have that closure because that prohibits anyone from fishing any other species at that time.

Would you have an answer I could take back to them?

[Sylvie Lapointe]

That five-day spawning closure is based on the best available science we have. It's there to protect the spawners. Over the last few years, we have worked to make sure we get the timing just right so that we're not unduly impacting harvesting opportunities, but from a science perspective there's a strong feeling that a spawning closure is required.

[Pat Finnigan, Liberal, Miramichi—Grand Lake, NB]

Thank you.

You mentioned the indigenous commercial fisheries, which I think was well received. We're all hoping that takes place.

Do you have any more information as to when that might happen and what roadblocks there are, if any, to the harvesting and sale of that good-eating, good-tasting fish?

[Sylvie Lapointe]

We're working with first nations. We hope to finalize that commercial exploratory fishery soon. We understand they have developed some markets for it.

[Pat Finnigan, Liberal, Miramichi—Grand Lake, NB]

Would you have a number as to how many they would catch?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bernadette Jordan]

Thank you, Mr. Finnigan. I'm sorry.

Mr. Doherty, you have five minutes, please.

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

Will you ensure that the 2018 surf clam quota will be maximized for value this year?

[Catherine Blewett]

One of the things we look at if I—

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

It really is just a yes or no question, Ms. Blewett.