Thank you.
Evidence of meeting #73 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 board.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #73 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 board.
A recording is available from Parliament.
9:50 a.m.
Liberal
9:50 a.m.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
How long have each of you been with the corporation?
9:50 a.m.
Chairperson, Board of Directors, Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation
I've been with the corporation since late February 2016. However, in my previous roles as associate deputy minister of fisheries and before that, as assistant deputy minister, the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation was my file for a number of years.
9:50 a.m.
Interim President, Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation
I've been with the corporation since 2008.
9:50 a.m.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Okay, we have 2008 and 2016. In your opinion, why is there a delay in appointing board members?
9:50 a.m.
Chairperson, Board of Directors, Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation
That's a question that you would have to ask the Government of Canada.
9:50 a.m.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Okay. We'll leave that to the Government of Canada.
Your largest source for your product is Manitoba. Is that correct?
9:50 a.m.
Chairperson, Board of Directors, Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation
That's correct.
9:50 a.m.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
It's about 83% of your source and revenues. Is that correct?
9:50 a.m.
Chairperson, Board of Directors, Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation
Yes, it's in that range.
9:50 a.m.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Your testimony to Ms. Jordan was that although you're signing other contracts, Northwest Territories would really be your only target market and source on record.
9:50 a.m.
Chairperson, Board of Directors, Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation
They would be the only place.... It's only 2% of our purchases. That's the only place where we would have a legal obligation to purchase the fish and the fishermen would have a legal obligation to sell it to the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation. Everywhere else is going to be open market.
9:50 a.m.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
You have been around since 1969 and your testimony today is that there are fishers who are still signing on with you. We've seen this before with other groups. You are the only game in town. There is some fear, I guess, for some of these fishers who do not have or do not appear to have the means to be able to market their own product. They are signing on out of fear of the unknown.
9:50 a.m.
Chairperson, Board of Directors, Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation
They make their own determination. I don't know if that's a motivator or whether they think the corporation could do better by them.
9:50 a.m.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Okay.
Is your largest source of product from Lake Winnipeg?
9:50 a.m.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
I read your testimony before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, where our colleague Mr. Sopuck mentioned that Lake Winnipeg is indeed your largest source. How much do you work with DFO to determine fish sustainability?
9:50 a.m.
Chairperson, Board of Directors, Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation
DFO doesn't manage Lake Winnipeg. It's the Province of Manitoba.
9:50 a.m.
Conservative
9:50 a.m.
Chairperson, Board of Directors, Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation
I'll turn to Stan for that.
9:50 a.m.
Interim President, Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation
We've worked with water stewardship and the Province of Manitoba, but at the end of the day—
9:50 a.m.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
What's your long-term plan for that source of fish, given the fragile system there? The fishery has collapsed previously.
9:50 a.m.
Interim President, Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation
Our plan is to continue to purchase the fish that the market demands.
With regard to the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation, our mandate is to purchase, process, and market the fish from our mandated area. The Government of Manitoba, working in conjunction with us, provides the quotas and the species that we're allowed to market.
9:50 a.m.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
If the fishery is in a fragile state or has been previously, what is your long-term plan for that source of product?
