Fisheries Committee on Dec. 5th, 2016

[Chris Bloomer]

The first point is that the things that go on to protect fish habitat and the assessment and the practices used to protect fish habitat for pipelines didn't change. What the changes to the Fisheries Act in 2012 did do, though, was provide streamlining so that you didn't get.... We heard about the manpower issues and so on with DFO at the time, prior to 2012. It was at the back end of the project process. Now it is able to be at the front end, and it helps with efficiency.

That efficiency doesn't necessarily signal certainty in terms of getting approved, but it does create an atmosphere where the timeliness is more understood.

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

With the few seconds I have left, I'll go back to our energy producers. In terms of the 2012 changes to the Fisheries Act, you mentioned you favoured the increased enforcement penalties and fines. How has this impacted your association? How has this improved protection of fisheries habitat in hydro projects?

[Dan Gibson]

Thank you.

The problem statement that was given to us was on loss of protections and modern safeguards. What we wanted to articulate was that protections, in some cases, had been enhanced, even if they were more onerous on our industry. We wanted to send that confidence vote that where serious harm to fish was now the onus of producers to self-report on, that was not necessarily something that was.... It was more a burden on industry, but it was something that was brought in through 2012 that enhanced responsibility of the producers.

I hope that answers your question.

[The Chair, Liberal, Scott Simms]

It's going to have to. I'm sorry. I have to call it there.

We have only a few minutes left, folks. Before we adjourn, I want to thank the Canadian Hydropower Association, the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association, the Canadian Electricity Association, P.E.I. Aquaculture Alliance, and the Forest Products Association of Canada for being here today.

On Wednesday, our next meeting, we'll have Dr. David Schindler, Brenda Gaertner, the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board, the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada, and the Pacific Streamkeepers Federation. That will be our last meeting with witnesses before we get into deliberations.

Thank you again to our witnesses. Thank you, colleagues. See you on Wednesday.

We're adjourned.