Fisheries Committee on Feb. 23rd, 2016

[Mario Pelletier]

When the owner is known, that's easy. Whether they have the capacity to pay, they still have insurance. These are all things that come into line when we make a decision. The bottom line is that our mandate is to prevent pollution. We will take whatever action needs to be taken to prevent pollution or mitigate the risk.

[The Chair, Liberal, Scott Simms]

Thank you, Ms. Jordan.

Mr. Sopuck, for five minutes.

[Robert Sopuck, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

Thank you, Chair.

I'm very intrigued by the work you're doing in terms of fisheries patrols, so my questions will relate more to that.

First, seeing as we're on the record here, I want to correct one thing for our Liberal friends across the way. One of the Liberal MPs today implied in the House that the sockeye salmon stocks were in jeopardy. I just want to point out that the 2010 and 2014 sockeye runs were the record in history.

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

Six years ago, Bob, that's a long time.

[Robert Sopuck, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

It's very important to be accurate in these things.

Could you describe the fisheries patrols you do? How are they apportioned between the east coast and the west coast?

[Mario Pelletier]

Our role in fisheries patrol is to provide a platform for the conservation and protection program so Fisheries and Oceans Canada can do its work.

As for numbers and efficiencies and so on, I can't speak to these. What I can say is every year the conservation and protection team will come to us with their requirement for the year. We make the ship available to them so they can do their work.

[Robert Sopuck, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

Do they report to you afterwards about their fisheries patrols?

One of the things that we discussed in our previous work on the fisheries committee was the IUU fisheries, the illegal, unreported, and unregulated fisheries, going on on the high seas. It's a major conservation concern worldwide.

Do you have any information on the results of their enforcement patrols?

[Mario Pelletier]

No. Unfortunately, that's really...I think our colleagues will be here on Thursday. Perhaps the question would be best directed to them.

[Robert Sopuck, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

It says you schedule 11 scientific surveys per day. What do they entail?

[Mario Pelletier]

We do a variety of surveys. We do that for the science community within DFO or other departments, such as NRCan, universities, and so on.

It goes from our largest offshore oceanographic vessel, which does seismic work, to the offshore fisheries vessel, which does stock sampling of fish. It also includes some channel surveys as well and some coring. It's on both coasts, in the rivers, and in the lakes. We work with Environment Canada in the lakes as well, and in the Arctic.

As far as the product and how it's used is concerned, again, that question would be best directed to my colleagues.

[Robert Sopuck, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

I was interested in your comments earlier about the variability of ice conditions in the Arctic. I spent a bit of time in Roes Welcome Sound, by Southampton Island, in a previous life. I was there for a few years, and the variability was phenomenal.

Do you see the variability of ice conditions increasing? Some years the navigation is excellent. In other years, or for two or three years, it's difficult at best.

[Mario Pelletier]

At one point, the Northwest Passage was not even spoken about, because it was closed most of the time, so as it opened up, it created opportunities and people thought, “Here's a great plan: let's race.” A lot of adventurers decided it was a cool idea to be there. Is it increasing? Yes, because it's more open. For a few years, it was more open than it had been. Now it varies from year to year. It's very unpredictable.

[Robert Sopuck, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

Are you saying there's no clear trend, but that the variability is increasing? We're hearing all the time that the Arctic is opening up, as if it's a linear trend, but your observations are that some years it's more open, and then the next few years it closes up again.

Can we say that the variability is increasing?

[Mario Pelletier]

Correct, and that's mainly due to multi-year ice detaching and flowing down from the polar caps. That multi-year ice will not melt in the summer like the new ice will, so it will remain there. It will get trapped in the new ice over the winter, and once that melts, the other ice will still be there.

[Robert Sopuck, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

A number of interests keep talking about how, as the Northwest Passage opens up, they're gearing up for it, but what I hear you saying is that they had better be somewhat careful, because it may be open for one year and then closed for two more years. To rely on that as a consistent and open navigation path can be somewhat precarious.

[Mario Pelletier]

It is a huge concern for us, yes, mostly for smaller operators and people who see a business opportunity to transit. There are people who use it just for the adventure.

It is a concern for us, yes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Scott Simms]

Thank you, Mr. Sopuck. I appreciate it. You're right on time.

Mr. McDonald, you have five minutes.

[Ken McDonald, Liberal, Avalon, NL]

I certainly won't need that long, Mr. Chair, but I think another member has a question.

My question relates to your comments on reopening the centre in St. John's on the east coast. A new building is planned. I think the monies were announced last year. You mentioned it's whether you go into the original facility that currently exists or into the new building.

Is it your intent to open that facility sooner in the existing building that housed it prior to its closure, or would it be your intent to wait until the new building is built for that centre to reopen?

I ask that because the mandate letter to the minister indicated that the centre was to be reopened as soon as possible.

[Mario Pelletier]

I believe the mandate letter says that they would be reopened. The time frame was not that specific.

What we're looking at is exactly as you said, that is, all those options and whether it's feasible. In the space that was available, all the equipment has been taken out, so we do need to acquire new equipment as well. The standard for such an operation centre as well is to have what we call a back-up site. Basically, it's some redundancy to make sure that if something happens in that part of the city, we still can continue to provide service. We need to look at that as well. There are a number of considerations that need to be lined up before we can actually move ahead.

[Ken McDonald, Liberal, Avalon, NL]

We'll wait for Mr. Chair to come back.

[Ken Hardie, Liberal, Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC]

[Inaudible—Editor]

[The Chair, Liberal, Scott Simms]

Do you want to ask a question, Mr. Hardie?

Normally, Mr. McDonald, you would have to split your time with Mr. Hardie. Is that your intention?

[Ken McDonald, Liberal, Avalon, NL]

Yes, definitely. I said that another member would have a question.

[The Chair, Liberal, Scott Simms]

Yes, I was talking to Mr. Strahl. I was delinquent in my duties.

[Ken McDonald, Liberal, Avalon, NL]

I'm going to split my time with Mr. Hardie, Mr. Chair.