Fisheries Committee on Feb. 27th, 2020

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

We're back in public.

Mr. Calkins.

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

I just want to go back and remind committee members of a little story. This is a personal thing that involved my family. One of the very first national caucus meetings that I attended outside of Ottawa happened in this lovely community called Charlottetown. My family came with me on that trip, a long time ago. My children were quite small at the time; they're all quite big now, because I've been here a while.

Now, this wouldn't be in the lovely riding of Egmont; it would be in Malpeque. I remember walking down the dock at Cavendish, a short drive from Stanley Bridge where my family was staying. These places would be very familiar to Mr. Morrissey and others at the table.

I booked a little fishing trip, and I took my two boys—if they weren't 7 and 3, they were 8 and 4—and we got on this boat with about a dozen other people. Boy, it sure looked like a lobster fishing boat, because it was.

The captain of the boat took us out on the bay and gave us fishing rods with little pink flies on them. We jigged for some mackerel, and my kids and I had a hoot reeling in a few little mackerel that we subsequently cut up for bait. He turned the motor on, went out a little further, and we jigged for cod. We caught a few cod, we caught a few other fish, some sculpins and a few other things. We had a great time.

In my conversation with the captain of the boat, he said to me that his two trips a day that he makes out there—one in the morning and one in the afternoon—made more money for him taking a few people fishing at $20 or $30 per person for a couple of hours than he netted from his lobster fishery, which was thousands of dollars of input costs, thousands of dollars of fuel costs and thousands of dollars of other costs, which are fine, and of course, the revenue he got from that....

So, I think, Mr. Chair, that it is only fair and reasonable that we go to see what it is exactly that people who live along the coastal communities of our country want. I think this motion will certainly enlighten this committee, and I can't for the life of me figure out why anybody at this table would be uneasy in adopting this motion.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Thank you, Mr. Calkins.

Mr. Beech.

[Terry Beech, Liberal, Burnaby North—Seymour, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

With regard to some of the comments made previously and just now, we want to make sure that all representatives around this table have an opportunity to pass their motions.

Our colleagues in Atlantic Canada may have their concerns, and I'm sure they will share those concerns. After listening to the strong points from the Conservatives and the NDP in support, I certainly won't be stopping this motion from going ahead, but we have registered concerns about it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Thank you.

Mr. Morrissey.

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

Mr. Beech, on the government side, we have concerns, but it's not something we're opposed to. As for the wonderful intervention Mr. Calkins made, yes, that situation exists all through the gulf region. People are licensed under particular criteria to do that. It's very lucrative, and nobody is opposed to that. It's a critical part...but there are certain species that are controlled and they can participate in that.

That is why I had asked Madam Gill if it was targeted toward a particular species, but I don't think she responded to that.

We're not opposed to it, but we have some reservations, and we'll see where it goes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Thank you, Mr. Morrissey.

Madame Gill.

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Manicouagan, QC]

Since Mr. Morrissey said I didn't answer, I wanted to make clear that it doesn't target a particular species.

As I said, the purpose is to undertake a comprehensive study on what is possible, in response to what the public has been calling for, so I'm not proposing any assumptions or outcomes. I don't want to limit the study. Obviously, I want to thank those who have expressed support for the population, and I hope the committee will reach a consensus.

I'd also like to know whether I can request a recorded division at some point.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Yes, Ms. Gill.

There will be a vote as soon as the debate finalizes.

Seeing no further interest in debating, we'll call the vote on the motion as amended.

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

I would like a recorded vote, please.

(Motion as amended agreed to: yeas 6; nays 0 [See Minutes of Proceedings])

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Mr. Calkins.

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

Thank you, Chair.

In the spirit of passing motions at the table, my motion from Tuesday was deferred until today and I would like to bring it back before the committee for continued debate.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

I believe Mr. Johns made an amendment to your motion.

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

Chair, I believe you're the head of this committee. You would know where the debate left off and under what terms and conditions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Okay. We will start off with debate on the amendment as moved by Mr. Johns.

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

Can you repeat the amendment, Chair?

Oh yes, it was to ensure that indigenous communities were in the motion, I believe. I think that was where I asked for a change on the language from “Métis, Inuit and first nations” to “indigenous”. That was the only change. I thought we sought agreement at the table to change that language.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Yes, but I think it was adjourned at one point.

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

The clerk can maybe make a recommendation about where we put that in. I think we identified “the impact of this decision on small businesses, indigenous and coastal communities”. Would that be a good place for it?

[The Clerk of the Committee, Ms. Nancy Vohl]

Do you have a copy of your amendment?

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

I don't. It's just the one word. Maybe we should put “indigenous” ahead of “small businesses”. We're talking about a very small change in language. It's “to fully understand the impact of this decision on indigenous, small businesses and coastal communities”.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

I'm going to suspend for just a moment to allow the clerk time to go back to look at the blues to see the exact wording.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Welcome back, everyone.

We have found the exact amendment that was moved by Mr. Johns. The amendment was, “that the department give a full briefing on all public consultations that took place on the west coast with the affected fishers.”

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

That's correct. Thank you.

(Amendment agreed to)

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Mr. Johns.

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

I'd like an additional amendment. After “2019 to fully understand the impact of this decision on”, I would like to identify specifically “indigenous”, and then “small businesses and coastal communities”.