Evidence of meeting #28 for Fisheries and Oceans in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was prawns.
A video is available from Parliament.
Managing Director, BC COVID-19 Active Fishermen’s Committee
I haven't spoken with other harvesters, specifically, regarding their concerns about this being implemented—actually some, yes.
There is concern, but there hasn't been any kind of direct change, that I know of, targeted on another fishery right now.
Liberal
Liberal
Ken Hardie Liberal Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
This is for Mr. McIsaac, following up on Mr. Arnold's question.
We understood that oyster harvesters were also recently told on very, very short notice that certain regulations would either change or be enforced differently. Have you heard that?
Managing Director, BC COVID-19 Active Fishermen’s Committee
Yes, that's correct.
Liberal
Ken Hardie Liberal Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC
Fair enough.
I have a question for Mr. Lawson.
James, it's not in your interest to catch and keep small prawns, as there's no market for them, and I've heard somebody else say that this is not a conservation issue.
First of all, can you describe what a legal prawn is and why the DFO would be interested in checking for them?
President, United Fishermen and Allied Workers' Union – Unifor
To see if a prawn is legal, we do a millimetre measurement, either off the telson, which is part of the tail, or on the spike coming off it's face. I forget what it's called.
I have no interest in keeping small prawns. Why take prawns that are going to be more valuable later? I don't know.
Liberal
Ken Hardie Liberal Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC
Mr. Atkins, perhaps you can answer that. Why is the DFO even inspecting? What are they looking for? Where can a prawn fisher, other than size, go wrong when there's no interest in catching small prawns?
Executive Director, Pacific Prawn Fishermen’s Association
It has baffled all of us here. It's really unknown. There have been cases of undersized prawns entering the marketplace through the unregulated channels in recreational and different fisheries, but we're really unclear on what the issue is and why there's such concern over it, because it's so infrequent and there's no desire for the fishermen to keep them.
Liberal
Ken Hardie Liberal Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC
Ms. Orr, a lot has been said about the local market valuing the prawns they get in tubs, particularly restaurants. Obviously they would like to cook these up for their customers.
Is there an alternative through a processor for, say, the local restaurants to get their product? Would that process, whatever it is, be acceptable to the local restaurants, or is tubbing really the best possible route?
Lead Representative, Prawn Industry Caucus
I'm sure the processors would process that product for the harvester and take on that section of the supply chain. However, the processor is going to charge the harvester for the processing, or the harvester is simply going to get a wholesale price for those prawns, the same as they get for the rest of their export market prawns. What is lost there is the harvester's ability to achieve a higher profit margin from the direct sale.
As far as the actual preservation and freezing of prawns goes—if we're going to discuss tubs and whether or not there's another route—some folks have frozen prawn tails in zip-lock bags. However, the shell is very sharp and can pierce the bag, and then it leaks and you have freezer burn. There are very few other methods, if any. Certainly there are none that can compare with using tubs. There really is no other viable or reasonable way to freeze the prawn tails.
Liberal
Ken Hardie Liberal Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC
Mr. Atkins, on average, how many decent sized prawns would fit in a tub?
Executive Director, Pacific Prawn Fishermen’s Association
In a one-pound tub, you're looking at, say, 25 to 30 prawns.
Liberal
Executive Director, Pacific Prawn Fishermen’s Association
It's two or three layers. Our industry protocols suggest a limit of one pound, to limit the time it takes to thaw, and mandate a clear plastic tub so that you can see sizes once the frost gets off and you can measure some of the sizes through the packaging.
Liberal
Ken Hardie Liberal Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC
James, you're on the boat. You pull up your nets and there are small prawns in there. What happens to them?
President, United Fishermen and Allied Workers' Union – Unifor
They get dumped out of the trap onto the grading table and get graded individually by hand. On my grading table, which is seven feet away from me, I have marks etched into the aluminum so we can measure them, piece by piece if we have to.
Liberal
President, United Fishermen and Allied Workers' Union – Unifor
Straight overboard, back into its habitat....
President, United Fishermen and Allied Workers' Union – Unifor
From what I hear, but I've never followed one down.
Liberal
Ken Hardie Liberal Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC
Nor should you.
That's fine for me. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald
Thank you, Mr. Hardie.
We'll now go to Ms. Gill for two and a half minutes, please.
Bloc
Marilène Gill Bloc Manicouagan, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I noticed earlier that Mr. Atkins would have liked to answer the question. I would invite him to send us his response on the consultation, in short, on the implications of these instructions being late and the fact that we don't know what is going to happen in the short term to the spot prawn fishery.
Of course, it is said that there has not been much discussion and that many aspects remain unclear. I would like to know what regulations the witnesses would like to see adopted for the entire population. This needs to happen quickly, because 2022 is tomorrow.
My question is for all of the witnesses.
President, United Fishermen and Allied Workers' Union – Unifor
I have 2,000 pounds' worth of tubs sitting in my hold right now, and I don't know if I'm going to be able to use them, so a timely answer would have been a real great money saver for me.