Fisheries Committee on May 26th, 2021

[Andy Olson]

Yes. I think even in this species-specific fishing industry, about 50% control of the licences is held by first nations at this point. Their licences are used for boats on PPFA, so fishers are not fully represented. Fishers are not represented fully by the PPFA. It's more of an industry-based and processor-based group, not a harvester-based organization.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Richard Bragdon]

Thank you, Mr. Johns, and thank you, Mr. Olson.

I know we're getting short on time, but is everyone okay for a lightning round here, with one quick final question from each party represented? If you can keep it to 45 seconds to a maximum of a minute, it would be helpful.

Thank you, witnesses, for hanging in. We're going to do the lightning round now.

I'll start with you, Mr. Mazier, for one minute, and preferably less.

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

Thank you, Chair, and thank you to the witnesses today.

This has been great testimony. It's nice to hear that you feel you're being heard.

I'm still really taken aback by how you feel from the repercussions of what you're doing in standing up for yourselves. I can't get over that, and in Canada, of all places.

Do you believe that DFO and the minister should completely reverse this regulatory reinterpretation and return to the interpretation that was used for the past 50 years? That question is for every one of you.

[Sonia Strobel]

Yes, absolutely. That seems to be the most logical solution.

[Andy Olson]

Yes.

[Ivan Askgaard]

Yes.

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

Do I still have time—?

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Richard Bragdon]

Thank you, Mr. Mazier. Good job. I appreciate that.

We'll go on to Mr. Hardie for one lightning-round question.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Per Mr. Johns' comments, it wasn't the government that did this; it was the DFO. I think you can sense from the government representatives here that we're just as aghast as everybody else, and have been all along. The rogues do this to us from time to time.

Does anybody have any information about what the DFO would have you do next year when it's time for the prawn fishing season, if you can't tub? Has there been any discussion, any way forward, laid out by them so far?

[Sonia Strobel]

No. There's been nothing whatsoever.

[Andy Olson]

No.

[Ivan Askgaard]

No.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Richard Bragdon]

Thank you, Mr. Hardie. That was very good. Everyone is doing well.

Now, Madam Gill, you have one lightning-round question.

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Manicouagan, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Last time they testified, Fisheries and Oceans representatives told us that no change had been made because the fishing is illegal.

I would like to hear from Ms. Strobel, Mr. OIson and Mr. Askgaard briefly on this.

[Sonia Strobel]

Madam Gill, I was as surprised as you were with this comment about no change. There is clearly change. If there was no change, we wouldn't be here having this conversation.

[Andy Olson]

I agree. I think that if there had been no change, everything would have been fine. The fishing would have proceeded as usual, and more people would probably have an opportunity to get prawns in Canada rather than having them sent somewhere else.

[Ivan Askgaard]

This was a big change and big news in the industry, and it caused a lot of concern. We were caught flat-footed and were shocked by this change in interpretation of the existing regulation.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Richard Bragdon]

Thank you, Mr. Askgaard. Thank you, Madam Gill.

Now, for our last lightning-round question, we have Mr. Johns.

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

I have a question for all of you.

What we've heard in the last two hours, along with the lack of information from the department, is deeply disturbing.

Now, I mean no disrespect to Mr. Hardie, because I have huge respect for him, but I guess my question is to the witnesses.

Do you believe the minister should get a free pass, given the testimony we just heard, on not intervening immediately and backtracking tomorrow and calling off her officials, so that in future you can count on this government, and all governments, to have your back? Basically the question is this: What exactly needs to happen, outside of thawing the tubs if they need to inspect?

[Sonia Strobel]

Go ahead.

[Andy Olson]

I think that has to happen for the fishers to understand that they are supported. Processing companies and shareholding foreign-owned corporations that hold licences and control the industry and make the lion's share can't continue.

We can't have this continue the way it is. It has to change, and unless we can start seeing something happening.... Fishers are exhausted.

[Sonia Strobel]

I think that unless fishers see the backing from the minister.... Unfortunately, a lot of fishers lump it all together. DFO to them is government; it's the whole thing. I think it's really important that a distinction is made here.

There is power for the minister to rein in these actions of the DFO. That's actually where the power lies, and so we need to see that action taken to have confidence.

[Andy Olson]

In Pacific regions.

[Ivan Askgaard]

We need certainty. We own packaging supplies and we have markets; we need certainty on fisheries as soon as possible.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Richard Bragdon]

Thank you.

Thank you to each of the witnesses. Thank you for your valuable testimony, and thank you to each of the committee members for working with this rookie chair here this evening. Everyone's been so helpful, and I appreciate that.

I want to thank the witnesses for being here this evening, We have a couple of housekeeping matters to take care of, so the witnesses are free to leave and be on about their afternoon or evening. We again thank you for being a part of our Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans.