Evidence of meeting #57 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 area.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Mel Arnold Conservative North Okanagan—Shuswap, BC
What about having other stakeholders in the room?
Union Staff Member, Maritime Fishermen's Union
Yes, certainly, but with first nations, for example, we're being told that they are consulted, but when we talk with first nations, which we do, they are saying they're not being consulted. There is some fine tuning that can be done there.
With local members, for example, we're very strong and very proud of the concept of community with our membership at the MFU and if the local communities, let's say the local shopkeeper or the boat builder or the gas station attendants, want to be at those meetings, fine. They understand the relationship within the community.
Conservative
Director, Strategic Initiatives, B.C. Wildlife Federation
I think local communities and different sectors have information they can contribute, and in order to have social support they need to be part of the process. It has to be transparent and they have to be clear on what the available options are and be able to provide their preferences to the decision-maker.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Robert Sopuck
I'm afraid the time is up.
Mr. McDonald, for five minutes.
Liberal
Ken McDonald Liberal Avalon, NL
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to our guests.
I'll probably be fairly quick.
Mr. Richard, you mentioned the consultation process and the fact that there was very little or no consultation leading up to it, but in the same statement you said these agreements—and we've heard them—were signed in 2010 and, as you said, they were left dormant with no activity, nothing happening. After signing a commitment to meet a target by 2020, there was nothing done for five years.
Now that process has started. As you've said, the tomb was opened and the paperwork was dusted off and this is something we should move on because it was an agreement that was signed to meet these targets. Part to the consultation process would be to meet with groups or individuals and it may not be the group or individual whom somebody knows who was consulted or whatever, and the fact that even you're here today as a witness is part of that consultation, and we would hope that would continue.
Going forward—and both of you can probably answer this to some degree—if an area gets assigned as an MPA and everyone knows what the rules are, do you think there's enough monitoring or enough enforcement in place for us to be able to enforce what can and can't take place in that area? It's great to say, meet the targets, but at the end of the day, if we meet the targets, can we do the proper management, the proper monitoring of those areas, and the proper enforcement to make sure things that are allowed to happen are happening, and the things that are not allowed to happen, don't happen?
Union Staff Member, Maritime Fishermen's Union
If I may, a large part of our membership decries the fact that there is a lack of supervision of illicit activities. I'm not saying they are everywhere, but that's the crux of one of the problems as well.
The public forum or policy is going ahead, but the logistics will probably be very questionable because, for example, there are local problems, be they in Nova Scotia or New Brunswick, with the electric cable projects and the zoning of these areas. We're having trouble coordinating with DFO to protect our fishermen.
So yes, I would say in response to your question/comment, this is going to be asked by our fishermen. If we're going to participate in this, you have to assure us that what we're protecting is going to be protected by the protectors.
There's a Latin expression, quis custodiet ipsos custodes. Who will watch the watchmen?
Director, Strategic Initiatives, B.C. Wildlife Federation
Monitoring and enforcement are components that need to be used with MPAs, and that social support for the system would rapidly erode if the rules weren't being followed. As with any other rule, monitoring and enforcement are critical to maintaining social support.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Robert Sopuck
This does end our meeting at 10:45.
I trust that the translators got that Latin.
Conservative
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Robert Sopuck
I would like to thank our witnesses for extremely well thought out and professional testimony. The previous two witnesses, again, were very concise, and provided very useful testimony.
I hope that you saw our committee operating in a very collegial manner. We're very non-partisan. We're all pulling in the same direction on behalf of the things you are all concerned about. We're concerned about the same things.
Thank you for some very expert and helpful testimony.
I declare the meeting adjourned.