Evidence of meeting #96 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 fishermen.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:50 p.m.
Liberal
12:50 p.m.
As an Individual
Yes, I believe so. We knew we wanted to start towards that.
12:50 p.m.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
The affordability of new entrants entering into the process: Is that your mandate; is that your mission?
12:50 p.m.
As an Individual
Part of it is. It's just to have a community for young fishermen to meet and discuss things and for issues like that.
12:50 p.m.
As an Individual
I think a big part of it, too, that I've heard echoed and that I'm strongly advocating for, is changing the negative perception of commercial fishing and showing people the positives in it.
12:50 p.m.
As an Individual
Well, I look at maybe what the perception of fishermen in Alaska is, or on the east coast, compared with the perception of the general public of what fishermen do and what their job entails on the west coast. I've seen that be very, very different. I think putting that out there is what's going to help.
12:50 p.m.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
You've said you've experienced that, and I'm intrigued by that.
How would you compare the Alaskan interaction between their government regulatory body and the fishermen versus the Canadian experience?
12:50 p.m.
As an Individual
I think it comes from...and I've heard this. If you ask the mandate of someone who's a fish and game and wildlife worker, i.e., what is their purpose, they can list it off really quickly. Within that is to protect and enhance the livelihood of fishermen. If you ask someone who's maybe in management or regulation at DFO, they're not quite sure what their mandate is.
12:50 p.m.
As an Individual
It's more of a precautionary “against” instead of a working “with”. I just figure, man, wouldn't it be great if we had more industry projects, if we had people working more closely together?
I think that's what it was maybe 20 or 30 years ago, from what I hear from people, but something has happened. There's been some sort of shift, or some communication that's been broken. I'd be really interested to find out what it is.
12:50 p.m.
Mrs. Bernadette Jordan (South Shore—St. Margarets, Lib.)
Thank you, Ms. Ellis.
Mr. Miller, you will have the final five minutes.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Larry Miller Conservative Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I really enjoyed your presentations, all three of you. With no disrespect to our bureaucrats when they come here, it's so refreshing to hear some real-life stories.
Mr. Lawson, I come from a farming background, from agriculture. You might take me off the farm, but you can't take the farm out of me. Don't ever apologize for not wanting to take the fishing out of you.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Larry Miller Conservative Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON
I totally get it.
Ms. Siider, you mentioned east and west coast policies. I think Mr. McDonald will back me up, because I've heard it, that even in the east coast policy there are differences between the mainland and Newfoundland.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Larry Miller Conservative Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON
It baffles me. Then I hear that there's a different one for the west and east coasts. As briefly as possible, what's the rationale for that, or is there any?
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Larry Miller Conservative Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON
I would take it that there probably isn't a rationale.
12:50 p.m.
As an Individual
There's a long and storied history of corporate ownership on the west coast. From what I understand, the current policy that's being allowed on the west coast opens the door for that. Fishermen, people like us, haven't necessarily had a lobby against that. We haven't been organized.
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
Larry Miller Conservative Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON
Are you saying, then, Ms. Siider, that there tends to be more corporate ownership of the fishing on the west coast than on the east coast, in general?