Fisheries Committee on March 21st, 2024

[Diane Lebouthillier, Liberal, Gaspésie—Les-Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC]

I have had discussions with Mary Ng, Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

I hope she's helping you out. She needs to.

Minister, when is the crab management plan coming down? The fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador is 10 days away. When can we expect the crab management plan in Newfoundland and Labrador waters? Is it May?

[Diane Lebouthillier, Liberal, Gaspésie—Les-Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC]

Soon.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

Okay. Hopefully it's within 10 days.

I want some yes-or-no answers.

With the budget cuts that were requested of your department—$15 billion, to be shared among everybody—by Minister Freeland in the fall, will you commit to not cutting fisheries management science funding?

[Annette Gibbons]

I will come back to you to be absolutely sure, because I don't want to mislead the committee. I don't believe there are impacts.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

Will you commit to not cutting DFO enforcement funding?

[Annette Gibbons]

There is no impact on enforcement funding.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

Will you commit to not cutting small craft harbours funding?

[Diane Lebouthillier, Liberal, Gaspésie—Les-Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC]

We are going to tell it like it is: we cannot do worse than what the Conservatives did when it comes to budget cuts.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

Thank you. That's the end of my questioning. I'll turn it over to my colleague.

Mr. Arnold, have at it.

[Mel Arnold, Conservative, North Okanagan—Shuswap, BC]

Minister, I'd like to inform you that at this point, zebra and quagga mussels are not all over Canada, at least not that we know of, contrary to what you said earlier in the meeting. We need prevention programs in place, which your department has been cutting funding to.

Why do you continue to ignore the threats of aquatic invasive species, especially zebra and quagga mussels, and the risks they pose to fish populations, including wild salmon, and ecosystems in British Columbia and western Canada?

[Diane Lebouthillier, Liberal, Gaspésie—Les-Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC]

As I told you on February 14, we have allocated more than a half million dollars to combat zebra and quagga mussels in British Columbia. That is a step in the right direction. Should we be doing better? Yes, and we will have to do so because of invasive species like green crab, sea lamprey and mussels. There will be awareness campaigns and work to be done with the public.

[Mel Arnold, Conservative, North Okanagan—Shuswap, BC]

We need prevention.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Thank you, Minister, for appearing before the committee again today. I understand that you have to leave after the first hour and that some of the officials are staying and a couple more are going to be added to the table.

We'll suspend for a moment as we switch out some of the panellists.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Welcome to our second panel.

Deputy Minister Annette Gibbons and Mr. Pelletier are staying from the earlier hour.

I'd like to welcome Niall O'Dea, senior assistant deputy minister, strategic policy, and Doug Wentzell, regional director general, gulf region.

I don't believe there's an opening statement. There are just questions from the participants.

We'll go to Mr. Small for six minutes or less, please.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'll be splitting my time with my colleague Mr. Perkins. We have the clock going, so we're going to keep it nice and organized.

My first question is for Ms. Gibbons.

Ms. Gibbons, is the logbook data that I referenced in the last round tabulated and analyzed for northern cod for the years 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023? It wasn't as of the end of November or mid-December.

It's been three months since I received an answer to my Order Paper question, which told me that the four years of data hadn't been touched. However, the same Order Paper question also told me that the data would be analyzed and ready to be incorporated into the stock assessment in April. That's no small feat. Is it done?

[Annette Gibbons]

We do incorporate logbook data. I will need to return to the committee with the specifics of the use of this data series.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

Ms. Gibbons, last year I asked the minister's office what data they were going off when they set last year's quota. When they came out with it at the end of June, I asked them what they were going off, because they didn't have the trawl survey. They said they were going off the sentinel survey.

Now I know why. It's because for some reason, fishermen's logbook data is not important enough to be analyzed. Surely to goodness you have enough people and enough budget to get it done. Considering the fact that there was no trawl survey data to be analyzed, this is simply disgraceful and disrespectful to the harvesters who fill out those logbooks. Now you're coming out with a new electronic logbook system, when you don't even use the old logbook system. It's unbelievable.

Will you commit your department to tabulating and analyzing fishermen's logbook data in a timely enough manner so that it impacts management decisions in the upcoming seasons?

[Annette Gibbons]

Logbook data can have multiple purposes. It is a compliance tool to make sure that we're able to track what removals are. It may also be used in stock assessments. It's not necessarily used every time. That would really come down to the particular approaches of the scientists in any given fishery.

I'm happy to return with more detail on that.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

I'm going to turn the rest of my time over to Mr. Perkins. Thank you.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Thank you, Mr. Small.

I have a couple of quick questions.

The CBSA told us last week that there has been no ban on the export of elvers leaving Canada, which makes it difficult for us. Have you done any work with GAC or anyone else to make sure there's an actual trade ban on this?

[Annette Gibbons]

We are looking at what measures we need, as part of the new framework for the elver fishery. Right now, we have the regulatory framework under the Fisheries Act, which requires possession—

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

There's no ban.

[Annette Gibbons]

—of a licence at the point of harvest.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

What's the minimum range, in nautical miles, that the Canadian Coast Guard requires for NAVTEX?