Fisheries Committee on Nov. 29th, 2018

[Wayne Moore]

The proposal in question had undergone a substantial risk assessment by officials and scientists from Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Subsequently, the company in question has come back and asked for an additional approval to have a facility in the area for production of fish, of genetically modified AquAdvantage salmon.

That proposal has been publicly notified, so we've been seeing a broad spectrum of Canadians commenting on that. That proposal will also undergo a thorough, rigorous review by Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Health Canada to inform a decision by the Minister of Environment sometime in the coming months.

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

In a follow-up to that question, in 2005, the audit mentioned that 40,000 fish escaped from Atlantic aquaculture pens.

In your view, is there any chance of contamination or even crossbreeding of those fish or any other fish? The stock of Atlantic salmon, especially in the Miramichi where I come from, is still a pure stock, if you can call it that—original stock.

What are the chances of those escapees meeting up along the migration route? I just want to see what the chance of either disease or cross....

[Wayne Moore]

Thank you to the member for his question.

Certainly, we've seen in the past globally that there have been documented instances of interbreeding or genetic introgression between wild and farmed salmon. We've also seen in Canada instances where this has happened in the context of escape events. I'd say one of our biggest research programs right now is looking into this area of how this interacts.

One other point that I would note is that since the escape event on the south coast of Newfoundland, which you were referring to, I believe—

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

I didn't know where it was.

[Wayne Moore]

It's very close to your colleague's riding.

We have noticed that hybridization that we've seen has gone down over time. This isn't conclusive, because we look at the balance of evidence over time, but it's suggesting that the effects of that are being minimized.

I would also note that one of the recommendations that the commissioner for the environment and sustainable development spoke to was working with the provinces to look at the maintenance and quality of equipment around escapes. That is work that's under way, and my colleagues maybe can speak more to that.

Thank you.

[The Chair]

Thank you, Mr. Finnigan.

We will now go to Mr. Donnelly, for three minutes or less, please.

[Fin Donnelly, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

To follow up on the commissioner's recommendation 1.28, which is the one on DFO conducting its planned disease risk assessments by 2020, I have information that DFO will deliver the disease risk assessment as planned.

There are a couple of the actions that I want to talk about.

In April 2018, there was a workshop to discuss the assessments of four diseases related to bacterial pathogens that cause systemic infections. The working papers for the peer-reviewed process have been completed.

Is this information available online?

[Wayne Moore]

This information will be available online shortly.

The participants have met—

[Fin Donnelly, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

When you say shortly, is that by the end of the year?

[Wayne Moore]

Yes.

We're just going through final approvals and translation. I'm hoping it will be available before Christmas so I don't have to make my staff work too long.

[Fin Donnelly, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Okay, thanks.

Is there a terms of reference for the steering committee that's been struck and is that available online?

[Wayne Moore]

The terms of reference for the steering committee for the four diseases related to bacterial pathogens will be online. The one for idiopathic heart disease related to PRV and HSMI will be coming online. It's in the process of approval. Once it's translated, it will be posted.

[Fin Donnelly, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Is that the fifth one, or is that one of the four?

[Wayne Moore]

That will be the sixth one.

[Fin Donnelly, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

It's the sixth one, okay.

[Wayne Moore]

For the first one, on IHNB, all the papers, the risk assessment and the terms of reference are posted. For the next four, the terms of reference are up and the papers are in the process of being finalized, approved and translated. I'm hoping they'll be up before Christmas, so I don't ruin anyone's holiday. The terms of reference for the sixth one are just being finalized. When it's translated, it should be up shortly as well.

[Fin Donnelly, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

That's great. Thank you.

I guess it depends what they say in terms of ruining somebody's Christmas. That is my next question. The results, the risk assessments.... I guess you can't say anything until they're publicly available.

[Wayne Moore]

I can't speak to numbers two through five, because as you point out, they're not yet publicly available, and I don't want to prejudge the scientists reaching their final conclusions and finessing it.

I will say on the first one.... To recall, the first 10 were picked up because of diseases we spotted on farm. The first one determined a minimal risk to wild salmon as a result. That was a function of practices that companies had put in place on farm to mitigate risk associated with the disease.

[Fin Donnelly, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Thanks.

The department has developed a draft framework for aquaculture risk management. Is that framework available, or can it be forwarded to this committee?

[John Campbell]

It's not quite finished. We're hoping to have that in public for consultation either before Christmas or very soon in the new year.

[Fin Donnelly, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Can it come to the committee?

[John Campbell]

Yes, certainly.

[Fin Donnelly, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Thank you.

Thanks, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair]

Thank you, Mr. Donnelly.

We'll close this portion of the meeting now, so we can move into committee business.

I want to say a special thank you to our guests for appearing in person today, and to Mr. Thomson for appearing by video conference.

We'll suspend for a minute or two while we prepare to go in camera.

[Proceedings continue in camera]