Evidence of meeting #144 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 ais.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Senior Advisor, Ecosystem Science, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
So if we don't want that to take place again, we need some good outreach and education campaigns.
Liberal
Pat Finnigan Liberal Miramichi—Grand Lake, NB
Okay, thank you, Mr. Nadeau.
Mr. Chair, I'll leave some time for Mr. Morrissey.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
A treatment used in Prince Edward Island to control an invasive species in the mussel industry is the extensive use of lime, but one of the concerns that comes from the lobster fishery is that there are no good data on the cumulative impact this may have. You said there's one staff person in the Maritimes who looks after invasive species. Am I correct in that? There's one staffer?
Assistant Deputy Minister, Aquatic Ecosystems Sector, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
That's in the core program in the maritime area.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
That's fine, but has the department done any scientific research on the cumulative impact of the use of lime to deal with the invasive species encountered by the mussel industry?
Assistant Deputy Minister, Aquatic Ecosystems Sector, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Not to my knowledge.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
Okay.
The other one is the green crab, which is extensive. When you look at the resources on the east coast that are dealing with invasive species, do you have any plan? I do not believe there's any corrective action being taken by the department, any action to mitigate the movement of green crab in maritime Canada. It may not even be possible.
Senior Advisor, Ecosystem Science, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
On the research or monitoring side of things, we are conducting monitoring activities for green crab—
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
Yes, I realize you're monitoring, but have there been any studies, any research, done to find an effective methodology that might be introduced to at least control green crab?
Senior Advisor, Ecosystem Science, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
There have been some pilot projects involving fishermen to fish out some areas, but it's a very prolific species and it's able to recolonize areas through movement of both adults and larvae, so we have not developed specific—
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
Okay, that's fine.
You made the comment on the invasive mussel that the advice you gave for Lake Winnipeg was not used.
Senior Advisor, Ecosystem Science, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
No, the advice was taken and the activity was done. The control measures and the use of liquid potash were performed, but the measures were not successful. So the species is still present there.
Senior Advisor, Ecosystem Science, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
It did not work. You have to realize, a single minuscule zebra mussel—
Senior Advisor, Ecosystem Science, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
In 2014, I believe.
Liberal
Senior Advisor, Ecosystem Science, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Yes, it probably, following the treatment, reduced the local abundance, but we only treated a few harbours where the species had been detected. The species must have been present in other areas. In the larval stage it can be carried by currents, and it's a big lake, so even if we had wanted to treat the whole lake, that would not have been possible. It took 33 cubic metres of liquid potash to treat these few harbours that had to be contained. Doing that for the entire lake would not have been possible.
Executive Director, Fisheries Protection Program and Major Projects, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
It was in 2014.
Senior Advisor, Ecosystem Science, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
It was in 2014, yes.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald
Thank you, Mr. Morrissey.
Before I adjourn, I will advise the committee that the second hour that was normally scheduled for today will now take place on May 15, just so we know where we are, and that is the drafting instructions for invasive species and version two of striped bass.
Thank you to our officials for their attendance here today. It's greatly appreciated.
Thank you to the members.
The meeting is adjourned.