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.
Conservative
Larry Miller Conservative Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON
Okay. That kind of explains it.
Ms. Ellis, I thought you had a really good comment when you said that fishermen have a vested interest in their future. Just before that, you said that everyone has a vested interest. I thought that was so true.
With that, I believe it was you who talked about monitoring. Is that monitoring information actually being heard by DFO, in your opinion?
As an Individual
In my opinion, no. I work on the boats. I collect the information. I'm inputting the information through my work, but when it's received at DFO, it's just being archived. I think people are crying out for science. Fishermen pay out of their pockets thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars to collect this data, and I haven't seen anything being done with it.
Conservative
As an Individual
It's just being archived. It's crazy this has to happen, but I haven't seen anything—
Conservative
Larry Miller Conservative Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON
Okay. That was my observation as well.
I want to talk a little about fisheries rehabilitation. This can go from habitat protection to restocking of fish in the appropriate places, etc. In general, and you can all comment on this, is there enough being done there in general terms to help our fish stocks, whether it's stocking, rehabilitation, or protection? I'm hearing a belief out there that more should be done from the stocking end of it.
We do it for the sports fishery. Should we be doing it for the commercial fishery?
As an Individual
Absolutely. More fish, more profit through a lot of different fisheries, like the recreational fleet, and then you start taking care of the FSC obligations as well, but you need to mention habitat protection. When I was up near Bella Bella, we went into Spiller Inlet, and we were watching our competition with other industries. There were two logging camps built right across salmon creeks, and there is no voice to shoo them away because we're so fractured. There are independent fishermen like us, then there's the recreational fleet that says they're taking all the fish.
I feel more should be done on habitat protection than everyone saying it's overharvesting. How do you align everybody when everyone has different interests?
Conservative
Conservative
Larry Miller Conservative Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON
Are there any further comments, or are we out of time?
Mrs. Bernadette Jordan (South Shore—St. Margarets, Lib.)
Thank you, Mr. Miller.
Ms. Ellis, Ms. Siider, Mr. Lawson, on behalf of the committee, I can say a lot of us have been here for a few years now, and that was one of the most refreshing presentations we have heard, so thank you so much.
Mrs. Bernadette Jordan (South Shore—St. Margarets, Lib.)
I am hearing from a committee member that it was the most refreshing presentation. We appreciate your testimony very much.
The meeting is adjourned.