Evidence of meeting #64 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.
9:55 a.m.
Environmental Advisor, Registered Professional Biologist, Pacific NorthWest LNG
Absolutely.
I've already provided all of ours to the Pacific Salmon Foundation and to the Vancouver Aquarium. It's raw data. You just ask for it. Right now what you get are finished reports. The raw data is available.
9:55 a.m.
Liberal
Bernadette Jordan Liberal South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
Thank you.
Mr. Enns, another thing that we heard about while we were away, in this case from the Metlakatla nation, was the need to protect the land and the water together. You can't protect one without the other. I think they called it a symbiotic relationship. They go together. You also mentioned that and said that you've done a good job so far on the terrestrial side.
Does that spill over into how how we're going to develop the MPAs in the marine areas? Do you think we have a good handle on how to go forward without both, or do they need more work?
9:55 a.m.
Regional Coordinator, North America, Indigenous Peoples' and Community Conserved Territories and Areas Consortium
I think it could spill over.
I had the benefit of being invited to Halifax for a presentation by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to the Mi'kmaq peoples. The language being used was that of consultation and accommodation. That's outdated language in the post-Chilcotin legal landscape. As my grandpa always said, you get more bees with honey than poop.
This is an opportunity for Canada to adopt a new language, and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, in particular, when they're engaging with folks like the Mi’kmaq. I'll tell you right now there's a lot of distrust. It goes back to Burnt Church and a variety of other situations that have happened. I would say that it's highly advisable for the DFO to follow the kind of approach that has been taken on the terrestrial side in creating that space.
10 a.m.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Thank you.
Sharon, how many times has the planning commission met with government representatives for face-to-face meetings?
10 a.m.
Executive Director, Nunavut Planning Commission
Well, lots. We meet on a regular basis. With the varying departments, some are more engaged than others, but Canada meets with the commission and provides good input on the plan regularly.
10 a.m.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Great.
Mr. Enns, how many times has the government met with your community in face-to-face meetings and consultations?
10 a.m.
Regional Coordinator, North America, Indigenous Peoples' and Community Conserved Territories and Areas Consortium
Well, if you say my community, I would say Nuu-chah-nulth is a bit of a prickly one because we had our Nuu-chah-nulth court case, and it hasn't yet been honoured. My chiefs and my elders say that we do want DFO to come back to meet with us and actually give life to the court decision.
10 a.m.
Conservative
10 a.m.
Environmental Advisor, Registered Professional Biologist, Pacific NorthWest LNG
How much has the government talked with us? Well, it was weekly working groups for awhile and then it got into monthly working groups. In the entire environmental assessment process, yes, it's working groups and all of the agencies.
10 a.m.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Okay.
Can you talk about some of the voluntary measures or processes that your organization takes to conserve marine areas?
10 a.m.
Environmental Advisor, Registered Professional Biologist, Pacific NorthWest LNG
Yes. A lot of the work that we've done was not requested. We've mapped all of the marine vegetation in the southern Chatham Sound and have set up a process so that you only need to take a satellite photo once a year and then monitor the growth and expansion or loss of marine vegetation throughout the lower Chatham Sound.
We've also contributed to the first nations up there, to the Skeena Area Marine Research co-operative. We've provided money for four different first nations to do work on eulachon. Also, we're contributing and assisting the local fish hatchery in expanding their capacity.
10 a.m.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Was it your testimony that you submitted all of the data, as well as your reports and the studies you've done, to the government? Or hasn't it been requested at this point?
10 a.m.
Environmental Advisor, Registered Professional Biologist, Pacific NorthWest LNG
No, all of our reports are submitted as part of the environmental assessment process, including others like the marine vegetation one. What they haven't asked for, and therefore don't have, is the raw data. That can go into other uses. Our reports just come to a conclusion. They refer to data, but we haven't supplied that. We have supplied it to other agencies such as the Pacific Salmon Foundation and the Vancouver Aquarium.
10 a.m.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Mr. Wellstood, having promoted the Asia-Pacific gateway on the world stage to further Canada's transportation networks, I'm very well aware of the advantages we have through either your port or the Port of Prince Rupert and through our transportation corridors. How important is our geographical advantage in terms of shipping and the timing and schedules for us on the west coast?
10 a.m.
Director, Marine Operations and Security, Harbour Master, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority
Our geographical location puts us very close to Asia compared to other North American ports predominantly to the south. That gives us a competitive advantage. Cargo moves more quickly into Vancouver and Prince Rupert, and then the rail connections go way into the U.S. Midwest. It's a great advantage for us as a port to be in a position to move Canada's cargo.
10 a.m.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Mr. Savoy, a little earlier, I asked Sharon this question as well. We talk a lot about how we balance the environment versus the economic opportunities that can lift our communities up, provide the jobs, and provide the roof over the head and stable conditions. I think this is a question that we all have to try to wrap our heads around.
Mr. Enns mentioned that there has to be harmony amongst all to be able to do that, but how do you balance that so we can lift up our first nation communities and our northern communities and still make sure that we're keeping our communities pristine, as you mentioned, or keeping our environment pristine?
10:05 a.m.
Manager of Implementation, Nunavut Planning Commission
Again, I'll note that it's a very large task to accomplish, and I don't have a concise answer for how you achieve that balance. I will just note that each area needs its issues to be looked at individually. For example, if one marine protected area is being considered, there are particular values that are interested in—
10:05 a.m.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
On that note, would you suggest, then, that perhaps rushing to reach a target, an arbitrary target, without due consultation or without having that weighted study behind it, I guess.... I think you need to have that study behind it before you can make those assertions and take those actions. Would that be correct?
Mr. Enns.
10:05 a.m.
Regional Coordinator, North America, Indigenous Peoples' and Community Conserved Territories and Areas Consortium
I would say that I don't know if you need more studies, but you need more engagement with the various peoples.
The way I would answer your question is to say that through various technologies such as the fish weir.... My great-grandmother taught me about the fish weir. Her name was Mary Hayes. This was a technology that was used to meet our needs but also to cultivate more abundancy in the system.
From a Nuu-chah-nulth perspective, economic engagement with the environment is not about sustainability. It's about creating more abundancy in the system. It's like pruning a tree at the right time of year. It's possible to do that.
10:05 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Scott Simms
Thank you, Mr. Enns.
Thank you, Mr. Doherty.
Mr. Morrissey, please, for five minutes.
June 6th, 2017 / 10:05 a.m.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
Thank you, Chair.
My question is an accumulation of a number of the points raised by my colleagues and from listening to evidence given by a variety of witnesses. Do you feel that Canada, in the areas you represent, can establish MPAs of the no movement, no-take, and “do not touch it” variety?
10:05 a.m.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
Because—excuse me—some groups that presented to us have advocated that an MPA is only an MPA if there's no disturbance, such as, traditionally, marine traffic, or any interference in the area.
10:05 a.m.
Executive Director, Nunavut Planning Commission
Nunavut is a unique area. Its demographics are unique. As we see climate change, our demographics are changing. MPAs can be managed in different ways depending on the seasons, the terms and conditions, and the values that are around the specific areas where MPAs are being proposed. It's very difficult to answer definitively with a yes or a no. It would have to be done case by case where the MPA is being considered.