Evidence of meeting #129 for Fisheries and Oceans in the 42nd Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was quota.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Vice-President, Fisheries and Corporate Affairs, Canadian Fishing Company
I don't think the owner-operator ability would change anything, and I think Canada has strong things about bringing factory boats into our waters.
It is harder for smaller communities. If they think they're going to build a plant in every community, they will find it just.... A QC person costs $80,000 a year these days, and you cannot get away with a CFIA licence if you don't have at least one. We have eight quality control people in our big plant at Delta Pacific.
Conservative
Mel Arnold Conservative North Okanagan—Shuswap, BC
Thank you.
I don't think I have anything further at this time.
Mr. Ken McDonald (Avalon, Lib.)
We'll now go to Mr. Donnelly again for the remaining time.
NDP
Fin Donnelly NDP Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC
Thank you.
I guess I'd leave everyone here to think in a short amount of time about one recommendation you could give to this committee. I think a number of you who have presented have given good recommendations. We'll capture that, but if there's one thing you could impress on us.... Also, because I'm sure I don't have enough time to hear from everyone, maybe we'll just go with a show of hands.
Chris.
Executive Manager, Pacific Halibut Management Association, BC Seafood Alliance
Very quickly, fisheries are always in a constant state of evolution. We're now entering another constant state of evolution. We've found solutions. Instead of a top-down approach, let the industry find the solutions. We have a history of doing it. Let us do it. Help with the framework to do it.
Director, Business Development, Sport Fishing Institute of British Columbia
End the XRQ fishery, please.
General Manager, Grand Hale Marine Products Co., Ltd
The loan idea would be great for fishermen.
Chief Chris Cook
As I sit here, I haven't heard anybody share anything about first nations since my sharing. I don't know if anybody heard me.
One thing I would like to say is that if I could ask for any kind of change, it's to somehow help us first nations and the coastal people. I hear you talk about buying quotas. As you know, we can't go to the bank because on our reservations we can't get x amount of dollars. Even my friend who has a $500,000 home on the reserve can't get money on that.
Here's what I would like to see. Do something about the quotas. Do something about the many quotas that are owned by a handful of people. You hear all these different things about licences and halibut. They have nothing to do with us as first nations. When I go home, I'm going to be asked, “What did you hear, Chief?” You know what I'm going to say? “Nothing. I never got any feedback from any of the standing committee that really means something for me to bring back home, that we as the first nations, that Chris Cook, sitting here, has been heard.”
Gilakasla.
NDP
Fin Donnelly NDP Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC
Well, Chief, I'll add that I think I certainly have heard your testimony. I appreciate that. I would also like to challenge you. If you can recommend—maybe in writing or verbally—how this committee can better include in its report first nations and have them be better represented in the licensing system, that's what we're looking for. It's a big challenge. As I said, it's complicated.
Chief Chris Cook
The licensing system that is available for us in first nations is through PICFI, so don't give us a band-aid program and tell me it's going to be okay. You may as well give me an aspirin, and I'll put it on top of my head. That's about how much help that's going to be.
In terms of change, let us have some decision-making in PICFI to be able to give those licences out. It's red money, as far as I'm concerned. Those licences were bought for us. This is one thing I want to share, so I hope I can get two more minutes. When you bought all these licences in Mifflin, do you know what you did? You bought all the licences from the coast, all the way down, in PICFI. Do you know where you put them? In the river—right where those fish have come from Alaska and outside, come all the way down and into the river to spawn. What's the difference between a fish that goes past my village, 150 miles from the river, and a fish that goes in front of the Musqueam— 800 kilometres more? The Government of Canada at the time made a decision. They said they'd paid for those licences, but they bought them from us, the coastal people. There used to be two million fish caught by the commercial fishermen in Johnstone Straight, and that's 200 miles. It used to be 200,000 commercial and 300,000 for the natives. I'm native. Now it's two million for the river, and 300,000 for the commercial, and they're even building boats to fish up the river.
God, what kind of system is that?
Mr. Ken McDonald (Avalon, Lib.)
Thank you, Mr. Cook.
Before we close, I want to thank all our presenters today for their presentations and their participation in this session.
I will remind everyone that we have a meeting again tomorrow from 3:30 to 6:30.
Just as a little bit of information for Mr. Cook, with the indigenous component, we do have some more indigenous witnesses appearing on Wednesday, so we will get to hear lots of testimony, and hopefully it will be included in the recommendations and in the study.
Thank you, everyone.