Fisheries Committee on Jan. 30th, 2018

Evidence of meeting #82 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 mpa.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

The Oceans Act’s Marine Protected Areas

Committee Business

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Larry McKinney Executive Director, Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, As an Individual

Sabine Jessen National Director, Oceans Program, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society

Paul Lansbergen President, Fisheries Council of Canada

10 a.m.

National Director, Oceans Program, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society

Sabine Jessen

I think that one place where Canada could really do better is by providing stronger protection for our MPAs, and I'm glad that more attention is being paid to that need right now. We really do need to begin implementing marine protected area networks and move from this site-by-site kind of approach that we've been taking. That is another way that we could potentially speed up the process. We do have a lot more information about the ocean to be able to do that.

I do think Canada has an opportunity to be an international leader.

10 a.m.

President, Fisheries Council of Canada

Paul Lansbergen

Just to sum up, I'd encourage all parties, government, industry, together with us and other stakeholders, to try harder to find that win-win in a reasonable time frame so that we can all contribute to the overall objective.

10 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Scott Simms

Dr. McKinney, if you want to add—

10 a.m.

Executive Director, Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, As an Individual

Dr. Larry McKinney

In the interests of time, I will waive my time on that and point to the testimony.

10 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Scott Simms

I want to thank all of our witnesses.

Dr. McKinney, thank you so much for coming to us all the way from Texas A&M University.

Thank you to Mr. Lansbergen from the Fisheries Council of Canada, and, of course, to soon-to-be Dr. Jessen from the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society. Best of luck on that. We thank you again.

Colleagues, we're going to clear the room for committee business.

[Proceedings continue in camera]