Evidence of meeting #152 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 dfo.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:15 p.m.
Conservative
4:15 p.m.
Executive Director, Prince Edward Island Fishermen's Association
I was just going to mention, Mr. Arnold, that this was why I highlighted bait earlier. We tend to focus on the human consumption products, but bait is one that floats out there. It doesn't always come under the purview of CFIA because it's not for human consumption. This is maybe going to be the new problem area, not just the primary product. It's something that we all need to be diligent about.
In terms of estimating the illegal trade, I really don't have a handle on that, but as we know, anything is too much.
4:20 p.m.
Conservative
Mel Arnold Conservative North Okanagan—Shuswap, BC
Thank you.
It sounds like all of you spend a lot of time on the water, or in the field at least. Can you give me any indication if there are certain individuals, groups, or countries that are a larger segment of the illegal, unreported, unregulated fisheries?
Mr. MacPherson, do you want to comment?
4:20 p.m.
Executive Director, Prince Edward Island Fishermen's Association
I can't name a country specifically. I would frame it more as a situation of countries that are getting into dead zones and fishing out certain species. That's a great concern when you have perhaps millions of people to feed. As many of us know, seafood tends to be the primary diet of a lot of countries in the world, although that isn't the case in North America, so it's a cause for great concern, for sure.
4:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald
Thank you, Mr. Arnold. Mr. Johns, you have seven minutes or less, please.
4:20 p.m.
NDP
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
Thank you all for being here and testifying. I'll start with Mr. MacPherson.
Have you seen an increase or decrease in officers' boots on the ground since the election in 2015?
4:20 p.m.
Executive Director, Prince Edward Island Fishermen's Association
I don't have an exact tally. I do know we had an issue of understaffing in a number of positions that weren't filled. The last report was that they were fully staffed and I think looking to add some people to the enforcement core over here.
June 17th, 2019 / 4:20 p.m.
NDP
4:20 p.m.
President, Coldwater Lobster Association
I can only relate some of the conversations we had with the local staff of DFO at the local area level, and there it's the same thing: They want more officers. They don't have enough to go around to carry out all their duties, so there is a concern. It's getting better—
4:20 p.m.
President, Coldwater Lobster Association
—but I think we're still not to that point where we can say—
4:20 p.m.
NDP
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
Were we ever at a point where we had enough, or were close to it? Can you cite a time in history?
4:20 p.m.
President, Coldwater Lobster Association
I can't.
The only thing I want to point out is that we're not there right now. Whether we were there 10 years or 20 years ago I can't say, but we're not there now.
4:20 p.m.
NDP
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
Thank you.
Both the EU and the United States have really strong seafood traceability regulations. Would a fully traceable, honestly labelled, safely consumed, legally caught program help with mislabelling and seafood fraud? Would it help having a program like that in place?
4:20 p.m.
President, Coldwater Lobster Association
I think it would.
Actually, especially concerning the U.S., I think we're building towards that for the winter of 2022. There are some traceability components we're going to have to meet, and stuff like that. Again, that will be a work in progress. We might have to do a lot more, but there is a traceability component coming, working with the U.S. It's part of the MMPA and this kind of stuff.
4:20 p.m.
President, Coldwater Lobster Association
It's being looked at, but it could be years before it's fully implemented.
4:20 p.m.
NDP
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
Great.
Ms. Morton, in the Cohen commission there was recommendation number 3: “The Government of Canada should remove from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ mandate the promotion of salmon farming as an industry and farmed salmon as a product.”
Do you think it's really important that the government follow through on this recommendation to build confidence with coastal British Columbians around the effects of salmon farming?
4:20 p.m.
Independent Biologist, Pacific Coast Wild Salmon Society, As an Individual
Yes, I think it's very important. I think the problem that I described is due to the divided loyalty. People within DFO don't know whether they're promoting the industry or regulating it. The industry, of course, is very forceful in how it approaches government. Of course, it's a business, so the wild fish are losing. Yes, I think it's very important.
4:20 p.m.
NDP
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
You talked about regulations and the gaps in the regulations. You cited the impact of PRV and the minister's commitment to testing for PRV, but you don't have any answers about what will happen if the fish test positive or whether the company is going to be allowed to move those diseased fish into open-net farms.
Could you speak to the regulations and what needs to happen?
4:25 p.m.
Independent Biologist, Pacific Coast Wild Salmon Society, As an Individual
Yes. The minister's announcement, frankly, was quite confusing, because it sounded as though there would be a two-month interim testing period and that he would test only for two strains of piscine reovirus, which suggests that we have a local endemic British Columbia strain. However, DFO has not published that strain. Nobody has seen it. I have not found it in my research.
I think this virus needs to be shut down immediately because, as he notes, the Norwegian and Icelandic strains are in our waters, and of course our wild salmon did not evolve with these. I hope he will prohibit the transfer of infected fish as per paragraph 56(b) of the law.
4:25 p.m.
NDP
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
What do you think needs to happen? You talked a little bit about the lack of fines, the bycatch that happened, and a $4,000 penalty. What kinds of penalties need to be in place to deter this kind of activity and the bycatch of wild fish in those open-net pens?