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.
Manager of Implementation, Nunavut Planning Commission
You're suggesting that the Nunavut land use plan will apply to the marine areas of Nunavut and that it will have conditions—
Conservative
Manager of Implementation, Nunavut Planning Commission
Communities throughout Nunavut, Inuit organizations, the Government of Canada, and the Government of Nunavut have—a broad spectrum.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Okay.
The Government of Canada has set a fairly aggressive target for marine protected areas by the end of this year and then going on to 2020.
For all of the panellists who are here today, would you agree that, by and large, the north coast of the province of British Columbia of Canada on the west coast, as well as the northern coast of Canada, is probably going to bear the brunt or the majority of these MPAs to reach these targets? Would that be your assertion as well? That is to all of you.
Executive Director, Nunavut Planning Commission
From a commission perspective—and not speaking for B.C., but for the Nunavut territory—yes, I agree that this plan is essential to have in place if Canada is going to meet its targets.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Okay.
How do you balance economics?
Mr. Savoy, you mentioned that 70% of your households are food insecure. How do you balance the environment versus economics, as Mr. Enns has mentioned? How do you do that?
Manager of Implementation, Nunavut Planning Commission
That's a very difficult question, and one that the commission is tasked with dealing with on a very large scale, recognizing the sensitivity of certain areas and recognizing the need for economic development.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Okay.
Mr. Wellstood, regarding your comments about the shipping lanes, has the Fraser Port Authority been consulted on the moratoriums and the MPAs and the no-go and go zones with respect to any recent announcements? I believe your testimony was that it remains to be seen how that's going to impact your business.
Director, Marine Operations and Security, Harbour Master, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority
It has, very sporadically, I would say, on a haphazard basis. When it comes to the shipping lanes, what we notice is that the conservation area proposed by Parks Canada goes to the U.S. border, yet the shipping lanes are half in the U.S. and half in Canada, along the border. For us, it's hard to understand why it wouldn't go to the boundaries of the shipping lane and exclude the shipping lane, and why it would go to the U.S. border and incorporate slivers of the shipping lane.
Environmental Advisor, Registered Professional Biologist, Pacific NorthWest LNG
Right now, Prince Rupert has three navigation channels coming in. That's what everyone makes their plans on to get out to Triple Island and have safe passage. To date, we don't believe any marine protected areas are affecting that. It's just the feature.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Okay.
Mr. Enns, I really appreciated your testimony today. I grew up in Tsilhqot'in. Chief Joe Alphonse is a friend of mine. Roger William is a friend of mine. I am the member of Parliament for that area, and I know your area very well as well.
Would any of your community rely on commercial fishing for their livelihoods?
Regional Coordinator, North America, Indigenous Peoples' and Community Conserved Territories and Areas Consortium
Yes.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
How would marine protected areas, or no-fishing zones, impact your community? Would those first nations that rely on commercial fisheries still have the opportunity to fish?
Regional Coordinator, North America, Indigenous Peoples' and Community Conserved Territories and Areas Consortium
What I'd like to bring to your attention is the historical outlawing of the fish weir. The fish weir is a very important kind of technology that is still available to us. It was used by our ancestors to responsibly manage ocean and particularly salmon resources. These kinds of source-based fishery activities were outlawed and replaced by interception-based fishing, which has created a lot of problems.
With marine protected areas, if we were going to create a Nuu-chah-nulth marine protected area, for example, we would continue to foster and enable the more responsible fishery activities, such as the fish weir.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Scott Simms
Thank you very much, Mr. Doherty. Sorry about that.
Mr. Enns, thank you, again.
Mr. Donnelly, you have seven minutes, please.
NDP
Fin Donnelly NDP Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to all our witnesses for providing their testimony today. It's very interesting.
Mr. Enns, what you were just saying at the end was very interesting, about a Nuu-chah-nulth MPA. It made me think, does the land claim or the area you call your nation extend into the ocean, and how far?
Regional Coordinator, North America, Indigenous Peoples' and Community Conserved Territories and Areas Consortium
Yes. It goes as far as our salmon go, into international waters.
NDP
Fin Donnelly NDP Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC
That's very interesting.
In terms of the process, something we have found throughout the consultation process that this committee has been doing is that there really isn't a defined process for MPAs.
Mr. Enns, you talked about the need for partnership and consent versus consultation and accommodation. In terms of the MPA process, can you recommend how the federal government could work with indigenous peoples—first nations, Inuit, and Métis—to achieve this end?
Regional Coordinator, North America, Indigenous Peoples' and Community Conserved Territories and Areas Consortium
Parks Canada has done a really good job of this so far. What they did was set a new table. They left a whole bunch of seats empty, and they asked the indigenous people to decide who would sit at the table. It has created a very good relationship.
The ECC and Parks Canada have been leading on the terrestrial side of target 1, and they've created a very sound process. It's called the indigenous circle of experts, and it will inform the work of the national advisory panel and the national steering committee for the pathway to target 1. The blueprints are available to you, and I think it would be a good idea to utilize it.
NDP
Fin Donnelly NDP Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC
Great. Thank you.
Mr. Wellstood, I have a similar question on the consultation process. We were just visiting Prince Rupert and the Port of Prince Rupert, and I was surprised to learn.... The first question is, is there a dedicated shipping lane, and is it a legal designation?
Director, Marine Operations and Security, Harbour Master, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority
Yes, there is a designated shipping lane from the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca all the way to the Port of Vancouver. These are IMO-designated shipping lanes. So they are designated.
Director, Marine Operations and Security, Harbour Master, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority
It's through Transport Canada that these are legally designated. That is where the MTCS of the Coast Guard basically monitors and manages traffic.