Evidence of meeting #75 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 funding.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
It's $1.5 million, ramping up to $4.3 million.
Conservative
Mel Arnold Conservative North Okanagan—Shuswap, BC
If I'm correct, you were about $1 million for each of two species, and then slightly over $1 million for everything else.
Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
No, it's $4.3 million ongoing for the core program, establishing a group of 20 FTEs, including seven fisheries officers. For the first time, we will have a national program, with a very small staff at headquarters, but staff in each region, to work with provinces, with stakeholders, and to work with indigenous groups.
Aquatic invasive species are a huge issue in the Great Lakes. There are 180 aquatic invasive species, of which Asian carp is important, and sea lamprey, for a long time. We realize it is a broader issue nationally.
Conservative
Mel Arnold Conservative North Okanagan—Shuswap, BC
It's a much broader issue nationally.
The zebra mussels and quagga mussels are spreading across the country. They've already hit Lake Winnipeg. How do we keep them out of our salmon-bearing streams on the east and west coasts?
Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
That's the key issue, and that's why we've invested in it. This is the first significant investment in a national aquatic invasive species program that we've had.
Conservative
Mel Arnold Conservative North Okanagan—Shuswap, BC
Thank you.
I'm trying to go through the estimates to find where there are lines that would show what you're doing to actually restore fish stocks. When I'm going through, I see there's $4 million being reallocated for an acoustic monitoring network. Where would I find a similar line showing what's being done in the streams, in the waters, that's going to bring back our Atlantic salmon stocks or our B.C. salmon stocks?
Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
I'll ask Sylvie to think about whether there is something specific in here.
The reality is, the supplementary estimates (B) don't have a lot in that regard. However, within supplementary estimates (A) and the main estimates, where we address those issues, we had specific items for that. In supplementary estimates (B), it is some specific initiatives, which Tony outlined.
Conservative
Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Sylvie, is there anything else there?
Assistant Deputy Minister, Fisheries and Harbour Management, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
In supps (A), we did get some ongoing funding to complete rebuilding plans, update integrated fisheries management plans. We also got some specific funding—
Conservative
Mel Arnold Conservative North Okanagan—Shuswap, BC
We keep hearing that these are plans to build plans. We don't hear or see anywhere that there's work being done in the streams, in the waters.
Where can we find that in the budgets or in the supplements?
Assistant Deputy Minister, Fisheries and Harbour Management, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
We are going to be tabling some information shortly that will respond to the concerns expressed by the commissioner of the environment and sustainable development, and to follow up in terms of appearances we've had here on how we're progressing on that front.
Conservative
Conservative
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Mr. Hutchinson and Mr. Smith, we've heard testimony from you on both sides of the questions regarding icebreakers. I believe it's a bit contradictory. I was very specific in asking whether you believe you have the solutions, that you are set for this season. However, one of the comments you made to me also was that it depends on the weather.
In light of the recent CBC reports, winter navigation service disruptions in eastern Canada last year highlighted the lack of icebreaking capacity. Can you explain why shovel-ready interim icebreaking solutions offered by the commercial shipping industry have gone unactioned since they were proposed over a year ago? Telling us today that an RFP has gone out, or telling us today that it depends on the weather—
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
—is unacceptable.
Can you give us your assurances?
Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
As I answered earlier, we do have a plan for icebreaking for the coming winter. We believe it's a robust plan. We can't plan for every unknown and for every contingency. The future of the icebreaking fleet is under active consideration, including the proposals we have received from across industry. They're all under active consideration at this time.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
Thank you, Chair.
One of the budget items in small craft harbours is the amount that's budgeted each year for maintenance. Could you give me an indication of that budget over the past number of years? As you hear from harbour authorities, this is an issue where the budget has been the same for years while the costs continue to go up. Is the budget the same this year compared to last year? I look at the P.E.I. region, and I believe it's less than $1 million.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Fisheries and Harbour Management, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
As we have outlined, our main budget is $75 million for all ongoing work, whether it be maintenance, repairs, or dredging operations. That's been supplemented over the last 10 years with some B-base funding. Last year and this year, we received an additional $140 million and some.
