Fisheries Committee on April 19th, 2016

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

They would all have an opinion, wouldn't they?

[Hunter Tootoo, Liberal, Nunavut, NU]

—they didn't have their fair share of the quota. What I have told them is that we are going to look at stuff based on science and based on going through whatever species it is. There is an advisory committee of stakeholders in that area: for example, for northern shrimp. We will sit down with them and look at how it will be divided up based on the science.

The one thing I have committed to is to ensure that we have a system in place that, one, everyone agrees with—they may not all like it, but they will all agree with it—and, two, has certainty, so it is not going to change. I am not going to go in and change it tomorrow. I think there needs to be the ability for that process to determine what those quotas are, and to be strong and in place, so that it makes it more difficult for someone like me, as the minister, to go in and fiddle with it and change it. These are discussions that I am having, and have been having, with industry on how we can move forward and strengthen that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Scott Simms]

Thank you.

Mr. Strahl, you have the floor.

[Mark Strahl, Conservative, Chilliwack—Hope, BC]

Returning to the Cohen commission—I guess we're a little British Columbia-heavy on this side, outnumbering Mr. Hardie two to one—I would like to to thank your staff, I think at the public servant level, for responding to my Order Paper question. I have another one in, again on the Cohen commission. I note that, as you've indicated, 31 of the 75 recommendations are under way.

Perhaps the previous government should have done a better job of talking about that, because I think there was the impression that nothing was being done, which obviously was not true.

After the report came out, we had two of the biggest runs of Fraser River sockeye in history. I'm not suggesting that another report is what you need, that another judicial inquiry will bring back the fish, but it certainly was interesting to see that after such a stunning collapse, to have within just a few years a stunning increase—record runs.... It certainly increases the mystery around what happens to these sockeye when they leave the river systems.

I want to go to freshwater fish marketing.

If the polls are correct—which we as politicians know not to trust until all the ballots are counted—the expectation is that there will be a change in government in Manitoba tonight. On this side of the table—perhaps on this half of this side of the table—we're excited about this.

Brian Pallister, the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba, has indicated that he intends to withdraw from the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation regime. If he does that, will your department work to quickly wind up that operation? I believe that he would be the last one standing, essentially, as part of that organization.

Maybe you could offer a couple of comments on this.

[Hunter Tootoo, Liberal, Nunavut, NU]

I'll have to wait until tomorrow.

[Mark Strahl, Conservative, Chilliwack—Hope, BC]

Okay.

[Hunter Tootoo, Liberal, Nunavut, NU]

I think it's premature to respond either way, but the one thing I would say from a departmental perspective is that whatever direction this is going in, the needs of the commercial fishermen must be met, and there needs to be some stability not just in Manitoba, but in Alberta and NWT as well. I think whatever direction goes forward with whatever government, we'll need to ensure that the needs of those commercial fishermen are met.

[Mark Strahl, Conservative, Chilliwack—Hope, BC]

Okay.

I want to talk about an issue about as far away from British Columbia as we can get. You touched on it—northern shrimp. Last in, first out is, as you know, a policy that came into being under a previous LIberal government and was supported by the previous Conservative government. Of course, we're now seeing that when last in, first out was used last time to reduce quota, people who had entered under those terms were very upset about it. There are now varying positions being put forward by the inshore and the offshore fleet as to who provides more economic value, who has the greater number of jobs for the region. I understand that the science—and there's been no change here, I would argue, and I think officials would back me up on this—has always determined what the total allowable catch is, and so there's no argument to even close area 6 when there are significant reductions in the biomass.

The science can make that determination, but you have to make the determination as to who gets to fish it, if anybody does. I know you've set up a consultation mechanism, but how do you ensure that there's no political interference in that process, when both groups—both the inshore and the offshore—are making compelling cases that you should honour the agreement or that you should look at a new agreement. How are you going to ensure that there's no political interference and that you are making that decision based on the evidence, when the evidence is so contradictory?

[Hunter Tootoo, Liberal, Nunavut, NU]

The evidence, as far as the science on biomass, is down. That's not a secret, and you are correct that the inshore and the offshore are polar opposites on last in, first out policy. We made a commitment to review that policy. I've met with them, but the one thing they do have in common is they both want to ensure the sustainability of the stock for the future. It's in both their interests, so they can use that as a building block. They do have something in common.

I assured them it would be set up as a minister's advisory panel. It would be independent, it would be done in an open and transparent manner, and the panel would do its consultations, do its work, and provide me with a report. I'm hoping to have that report by the end of June. No decision is going to be made on any allocation for SFA6 until after that.

[Mark Strahl, Conservative, Chilliwack—Hope, BC]

Thank you. Before I get to my last question, you mentioned you'd be going to British Columbia and providing an update or perhaps a way forward on Cohen in terms of progress on the recommendations, which had been met already, and were outside of the department's purview perhaps. I'm hoping that can be brought back and given to the clerk, so he can distribute that to us after you've done that work.

While I have you, what is the current status on another issue you have, which is to make a decision on with the Arctic surfclam allocation? I'm wondering if you can provide an update to this committee as to when you expect that review to be complete, and when the decision to proceed or not with an increase in quota will be given to stakeholders.

[Hunter Tootoo, Liberal, Nunavut, NU]

As you all know, I made a decision in December to leave things the way they were for this year, and to look at more science before making a decision whether to allow more entrants into that fishery. This work is under way right now in conjunction with the offshore clam advisory committee. I think they're meeting next month, some time in May, as part of that process. A science meeting on the Arctic surfclam will be held in June to review the available science information and assess the potential approaches for a spatial management plan for that fishery. Managing fisheries based on robust scientific evidence is a priority for this government, and I won't be making any decisions on new entrants until this work is done.

[The Chair, Liberal, Scott Simms]

Thank you.

Mr. Stetski, you have the floor.

[Wayne Stetski, NDP, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Have you given the Coast Guard instructions for the date you want to have Kitsilano open and running, and will it be before the busy summer season coming up?

[Hunter Tootoo, Liberal, Nunavut, NU]

It will be May 1 for search and rescue, and then the other stuff will continue on. They have to refit the building. That work is going to go on during this year, and the other enhancements will be going on over the next year, year and a half, as well. There will be people on the ground there May 1.

[Wayne Stetski, NDP, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Thank you.

There's some interest in establishing a science public advisory panel at least for the west coast, to better inform decisions moving ahead. Is there some interest? Would you consider that, at least for the west coast, with a science advisory panel for the ministry?

[Hunter Tootoo, Liberal, Nunavut, NU]

Yes, I know we have a peer-reviewed science process right now where we'll get data, and that has helped us in a number of areas. Whenever we do our science it's shared around with other groups to be able to review and ensure that we got it right. Let's ask Ms. MacLean if she would like to elaborate on that.

[Leslie MacLean]

Sure. As the minister noted, we have a peer review challenge process for the science undertaken by the department now, particularly for stock assessments. In terms of an advisory process, the minister spoke earlier to the importance of partnership, with the additional funds that will be coming to the department this year.

I know broad consultation on the priorities for the science, and how best to accomplish them, would be helpful to our organization. We'll be reaching out, not only within DFO and the federal science family, but to academics and institutes. As the minister has also noted, traditional knowledge is an important contributor to the science that's undertaken. We'll be wanting to reach out broadly and make sure we have the best information available to provide advice to the minister.

[Wayne Stetski, NDP, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

It's very important to move ahead with science.

[Hunter Tootoo, Liberal, Nunavut, NU]

Absolutely.

[Wayne Stetski, NDP, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Can you lay out a little bit how the marine conservation strategy is going to roll out?

[Hunter Tootoo, Liberal, Nunavut, NU]

As I said earlier, I'm working with my colleague Minister McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, on developing a plan to achieve this. We'll hopefully be launching in the next three to four weeks, if not sooner. I can't really say anything until then.

[Wayne Stetski, NDP, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Potentially you'll be out consulting with Canadians, then, over the next year.

[Hunter Tootoo, Liberal, Nunavut, NU]

Absolutely. As I said earlier, everyone, to my surprise, wants to help us achieve these targets. I assured all the different stakeholders, all the different jurisdictions, that there will be an open, transparent, and consultative process.

[Wayne Stetski, NDP, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Main estimates show an increase of almost $291 million related to federal infrastructure. Can you help me out here? What sort of infrastructure projects do you have in mind on the list?

[Hunter Tootoo, Liberal, Nunavut, NU]

There will be, as I said, a small craft harbour portion of it. Our Coast Guard vessels, the offshore fishery science vessels, other smaller vessels, and search and rescue vessels are included in it, and also investments to improve our infrastructure and our assets across the country, which will help enhance our ability to achieve our mandate to ensure that we're supporting service delivery and operational requirements.

The Coast Guard over the last number of years has had to make some pretty tough decisions, and I think some of that maintenance has fallen behind. Here, we're looking at doing this investment to make up for some lost time. We have some catching up to do.