I can only speak to my experience, but I have worked with more than 20 harbour authorities on the east coast in various capacities. There have been a number of occasions upon which we have approached representatives of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans asking specifically for enforcement support. That could be for removing a derelict vessel or perhaps for dealing with a conflict situation. We have never received that support.
In my view, there is a role for enforcement that is clearly laid out in the Fishing and Recreational Harbours Act. I know that business managers with the department are designated enforcement officers. My understanding, and this is somewhat circumspect, is that the reason they do not exercise their enforcement powers is due to a lack of training and a fear of liability.
The problem with that approach in practice is that the enforcement role does not go away. It is downloaded to the people on the ground. They, however, are no better equipped to carry out that role.
Whether the minister is abdicating his responsibility, I'm not certain, but I think there are issues internal to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans that certainly need to be looked at.