Evidence of meeting #132 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 licences.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Ken Hardie Liberal Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC
I'm sorry, but I have to interrupt. I do have a few more questions here.
Professor, School of Resource & Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University, As an Individual
Okay.
Liberal
Ken Hardie Liberal Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC
What you're saying here is that in Maine, the state actually continues to own the quota and is basically just the broker. Is that it?
Professor, School of Resource & Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University, As an Individual
That's right.
Liberal
Ken Hardie Liberal Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC
Okay.
We also heard about another way of approaching this. Again, it's predicated on the current system but going to what they call a “fair share”. In other words, you have an agreement in advance about how much the quota owner gets, how much the processor gets and how much the fisher actually gets. Is that a viable thing? I would throw that open to anybody who wants to speak to it.
As a further question, should that be based on the dockside price that the fisher gets or the price that the processor gets when it's shipped out of the plant? I'm wondering if anybody has any thoughts on that one.
Seth or Cailyn, did you want to take a run at that?
Fisher, As an Individual
I don't think I'll comment on the price. I do think that fair share agreements are appropriate, particularly as part of a transition plan to, say, an owner-operator and fleet separation policy.
Liberal
Ken Hardie Liberal Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC
All right
I'll ask just one final question in order to leave time for other folks. It's about a “use it or lose it” policy with respect to licences and quotas. We heard from the previous panel that something like 45,000 pounds of quota went unused in one fishery last year. If it's not put on the market and used, should it just simply go away? To sort of encourage people.... I have a licence; make sure someone is using it. I have a quota; make sure somebody is fishing it.
Who wants to weigh in with thoughts on a “use it or lose it” type of policy? Hands up on the TV.
Okay, Seth, come on.
Associate Professor, Department of Marine Affairs, University of Rhode Island, As an Individual
You could certainly do that. There are some places that have done that. It pushes your policy, I suppose, in the right direction. I don't think it will get at the root of many of the other things you're discussing here or the problems that people are bringing to you.
I bit my tongue for your first couple of questions—
Associate Professor, Department of Marine Affairs, University of Rhode Island, As an Individual
—but with all due respect, I think you're proposing putting a band-aid on a flawed system. I think you need to treat the root cause.
The Europeans started going down this road. What you're doing with these systems is what I call mandatory wealth forfeiture. These are public resources. I think you're tinkering on the edges. It doesn't address the fundamental problem.
Mr. Ken McDonald (Avalon, Lib.)
Thank you, Mr. Hardie.
I inadvertently forgot to mention that there are some witnesses still left from the earlier presentation. If those witnesses would like to sit at the table in case there are questions for them, they are more than welcome to do so.
We'll now go to the government side...or the Conservative side.
Mr. Ken McDonald (Avalon, Lib.)
Oh, maybe in six or eight years—maybe.
At any rate, Mr. Arnold, you have seven minutes or less, please.
Conservative
Mel Arnold Conservative North Okanagan—Shuswap, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I might share my time. I don't have a lot of questions right now.
Ms. Siider, you're based in the northern Vancouver Island area. How far north do you fish?
Conservative
Mel Arnold Conservative North Okanagan—Shuswap, BC
Only to the Alaskan border. How close do the Alaskans fish to our border?
Conservative
Conservative
Fisher, As an Individual
I think they're just on the other side of the line.
Conservative
Mel Arnold Conservative North Okanagan—Shuswap, BC
Would I be right in assuming that there's a lot of competition for potentially the same fish?
Fisher, As an Individual
Well, yes. We have bilateral treaties because we fish the same stocks.
Conservative
Mel Arnold Conservative North Okanagan—Shuswap, BC
Typically, on those migrating stocks, who gets first go at them?