Fisheries Committee on June 9th, 2020

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

I'd appreciate that. Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Now we'll go to Mr. Johns for six minutes or less, please.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair; and thank you, Minister, for being here today.

Thank you to the department for bringing me and our former colleague Fin Donnelly to Big Bar so we could see first-hand the challenge that exists there.

Minister, we know that some of the stocks were weak before the Big Bar slide. I just want to hear, do you have a clear plan on how you're going to activate recovery actions for salmon that were affected by Big Bar, but also for those other weak Fraser River salmon stocks?

[Bernadette Jordan, Liberal, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

As I've said, we are looking at a number of different measures to deal with the Fraser River salmon stocks, particularly because of the Big Bar landslide. We're investigating emergency conservation enhancement options that include the hatchery. We have already started. The holding facility is now open for that operation.

Of course, with the renewal of the Fisheries Act, we have also committed to building stocks as well as rebuilding plans. Those are all things that are ongoing.

There are a number of different challenges facing salmon. Habitat restoration is one that we're working on with the BCSRIF program, with communities engaged in that, as well as on coastal erosion. There are a number of different measures we're taking to help protect those stocks.

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

I'd love to dive into some questions on that. You talked about hatcheries. We know there are a number of DFO-operated hatcheries in B.C., but there's none, to my understanding, in the middle or upper Fraser, where the salmon that were affected by the Big Bar slide reside. If there were hatchery facilities in that area, they could be used to help accelerate the recovery of these impacted populations. What is the plan around that, Minister?

[Bernadette Jordan, Liberal, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

There actually is a plan around using hatcheries for the upper Fraser River.

I could maybe turn that over to the deputy to further address that question.

[Timothy Sargent]

Rebecca, I think you're best placed to answer that.

[Rebecca Reid]

There is a feasibility study under way right now to look at the existing infrastructure that's available above the Big Bar site from a hatchery perspective and what it would cost to invest in those facilities to support the enhancement activities. There definitely is some work that has already started to respond to that exact question, and—

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

Is there a commitment from the department to accelerate that project, just in light of the crisis we're in?

[Bernadette Jordan, Liberal, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Our commitment right now is to do everything we can to mitigate the challenges we're facing because of the Big Bar slide. Those are all parts of that solution. We want to make sure that we do everything we can so that there's natural passage of the fish, but we will be looking at other measures to make sure we're addressing the ongoing challenges with the reduced stocks.

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

You talked about habitat and the BCSRIF program. To our understanding, again going back to Fin Donnelly, who is now the chair of the Rivershed Society, and to many of the organizations working in the Fraser, they're saying that we need about $250 million just for the Fraser, and I think coastal people believe we need about $500 million in restoration, just in the next five years. Right now the $148 million falls quite far short of what is needed.

Can we get a commitment from you that you'll do what's needed to bring our stocks back in terms of restoration and habitat protection?

[Bernadette Jordan, Liberal, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Mr. Chair, I'm having a hard time unmuting my mike. I apologize.

I will tell you that we have worked very closely with the [Technical difficulty—Editor]

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

You're muted, Minister.

[Bernadette Jordan, Liberal, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

I apologize. I'm not sure why that keeps happening.

I will say that, as you are aware, the BCSRIF fund is a program that we jointly manage with the Province of British Columbia. We have over $70 million worth of projects already approved. We're continuing to assess projects on a regular basis.

We know that a lot needs to be done for the salmon stocks, but we do need to work with the province to make sure that we're able to continue with this program.

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

I appreciate that. I know that in my riding, many, many applications were denied. The coastal people and the people out there who are doing the volunteer work, mainly recreational fishers, are saying this is necessary. They feel that the government is not investing even close to what's necessary.

You talked about the Cohen commission, which I appreciate your bringing up, and the implementation of its recommendations. Certainly, we know that Justice Cohen said that open-net aquaculture has a significant impact on Fraser River stocks, especially sockeye. We know that right now we're seeing record amounts of sea lice, still open-net fish farms with PRV and disease-infected fish, and the massive die-offs that we've seen recently.

The government still hasn't come up with a plan to move to closed containment. When will that plan happen, and when will the implementation of that plan take place?

[Bernadette Jordan, Liberal, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

As you know, Mr. Johns, my mandate letter was clear on moving from open-net to closed containment. We are continuing to do the consultation process, as you are aware. This is something that's extremely important to first nations communities as well as the B.C. government. We're working in collaboration and in consultation with them to do those things—

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

I would argue that it wasn't very clear in the mandate letter because its expected that you'd be moving to closed containment by 2025, not—

[Bernadette Jordan, Liberal, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

We're continuing to work with the first nation communities that will be impacted, going forward, and we're finding solutions as we go.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Thank you for that, Mr. Johns.

We'll go on now to the second round.

Mr. Calkins, you have five minutes or less, please.

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

Thank you, Chair.

Minister, on March 10, basically three months ago today, I asked officials at the committee about the status of the mothballed hatcheries that are on the Fraser and whether or not they could help to preserve the genetic material or genetic populations that are at risk right now.

What I'd like to know, Minister...and I'm assuming that you'll have to hand this question off to your officials. Ms. Reid had responded to the question and said they were looking at it. She said today that they're still looking at it or studying it. I want to know where that's at. Is it feasible to get Quesnel and Eagle River up and running again? If you're looking at hatchery solutions, and it's not Quesnel or Eagle River, then where is it?

[Bernadette Jordan, Liberal, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

I am actually going to turn that over to my deputy.

[Timothy Sargent]

Rebecca, what's the latest on that?

[Rebecca Reid]

We do have a plan in place to do that work. As I said, it has started, but it is going to take some time. Even if all systems are go, some significant infrastructure investment is needed. It's those types of things. It is not an immediate plan by any means. We're starting on it immediately, but the results will take a couple of years.

I would like to add, though, that there are some existing facilities—for example, in Vanderhoof and in Quesnel—that are being used this year in addition to the DFO facility, so there is work under way to support those fish this year.

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

Are you talking about non-DFO hatcheries, community-based hatcheries that are able to help?

[Rebecca Reid]

Yes, that's right.