Fisheries Committee on Feb. 25th, 2020

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Red Deer—Lacombe, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I would also like to move a motion for a study.

Whereas the public fishery in British Columbia contributes $1.1 billion to Canada's economy, and the public fishery and 300,000 angling licence holders provide 9,000 jobs in British Columbia benefiting families, small communities and businesses connected to the public fishery's activities and tourism-related spending, and since 2016, the public fishery in British Columbia has been damaged by closures and restrictions to these fisheries, I move:

That the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans undertake a study of the socio-economic impacts of the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans' decision to restrict recreational and commercial fishing for chinook salmon on the south coast of B.C. in 2019 to fully understand the impact of this decision on small businesses and coastal communities;

That, as part of its study, the Committee travel to the west coast to meet with those impacted including small businesses that were affected last year and are observing significant hardship in business for 2020 due to the reduction of opportunities in the public fishery; and

That, as part of its study, the Committee assess measures, including measures other than fisheries management, that could deliver increases in chinook salmon stocks while allowing for access and opportunity for harvesters.

[A voice]

That's a great motion.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

I'll suspend for a quick second.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

As the clerk has pointed out, a mover can't insist that the committee travel. It should be “recommend” that the committee travel, because it has to be approved by somebody else. We can't automatically say “yes” to it without getting it—

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Red Deer—Lacombe, AB]

The committee can make its own decision as to whether it wants to adopt the motion or not, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Okay.

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Red Deer—Lacombe, AB]

Whether or not we get approval from the whips or from the various parties or whether that determination is made is not necessarily a driving factor for this committee. We are masters of our own destiny here.

I think travelling to the west coast should obviously be part of this. It's actually critical. The whole point of my moving the motion in the first place is so we can go out and consult with those people who were impacted, who by and large felt—as my colleague just said to me—completely out of the loop. They were not consulted and did not have any adequate explanation as to why their livelihoods suffered the way they did in the 2019 season, a season in which, by the way, anybody who is a recreational fisherman would tell you was one of the best for catching chinook salmon in a long time, depending on where you were.

I don't know why this wouldn't be there. I've been here for 14 years. I've passed numerous motions at committees that have required or asked for travel, and I don't see why this one would be any different.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Mr. Calkins, the difference is that we're not asking but stating that the committee travel. Yes, we're masters of our own destiny, and we take on whatever studies we like, but we have to get permission to travel. We don't decide we're travelling without getting permission to travel. We have to ask for permission to travel. We can't dictate to the House that, as a committee, we are travelling.

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Red Deer—Lacombe, AB]

Mr. Chair, I have full confidence in your ability to go before the committee that requests this travel and get us the travel that we would approve. If my confidence in you as chair has been misplaced, feel free to let me know. As a former committee chair myself, I have every reason to believe that you'll be successful in this endeavour, and if we pass this motion, I'll even come and cheer you on in that committee meeting.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Mr. Johns.

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

We'd like to add an amendment to this motion, which we support, that the department give a full briefing on all public consultations that took place on the west coast with the affected fishers.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

It's that we get a full briefing....

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

It's that we get a full briefing from the department on all public consultations that were undertaken on the west coast regarding the impact of the fisheries closures.

I'm moving that as an amendment.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Mr. Hardie, do you want to comment on this?

[Ken Hardie, Liberal, Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC]

I do. This is a fairly substantive motion. I don't think there's any time put on it. At least I didn't see anything in here. It would be useful to have some time to look over the implications of this and how it might knit together with other things. I would suggest that we bring this back on Thursday and chew it through and vote on it then.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

All that can be discussed now is the amendment that was proposed by Mr. Johns, not the actual motion.

[Ken Hardie, Liberal, Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC]

The amendment is substantive and I think it requires a bit of thought and preparation. I move that we bring that amendment back on Thursday, after we have a chance to think about that and the broader issues raised in the original motion.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Are you moving that we adjourn debate on the amendment?

(Motion agreed to)

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

The debate on the amendment is adjourned.

Mr. Hardie.

[Ken Hardie, Liberal, Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC]

Mr. Chair, I'd like to follow through on the notice of motion that was provided earlier.

I move that, given the decline in Pacific salmon stocks and the ongoing situation with the Big Bar landslide, the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans undertake a study on the state of Pacific salmon and make recommendations on next steps to ensure for the long-term health of these stocks, as well as the commercial, indigenous and recreational fisheries that depend on them, and call witnesses including senior departmental officials, First Nations, and relevant stakeholder groups to testify before the committee, and report back to the House.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Is there any debate?

Mr. Johns.

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

We'd like to make an amendment that we add, after “Pacific salmon”, the words, “as its first study”. That's before, “and make”.

Then, after “them,” add “that this study consist of at least six meetings, with two of those meetings focused on the Big Bar slide”.

Then later, after “testify before the committee,” add “and that an interim report be completed on the Big Bar slide before the full study is complete”.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Mr. Hardie.

[Ken Hardie, Liberal, Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC]

In the spirit of our earlier discussion, I agree with my Conservative friends that the Big Bar deserves first attention and not so much a study but a hearing, which obviously dovetails into the larger study that I'm proposing here. This study wouldn't be, necessarily, the first order. It might be immediately following our hearings on the Big Bar, and if we decide, for instance, to issue an interim report to Parliament.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Go ahead, Gord.