Evidence of meeting #111 for Fisheries and Oceans in the 44th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was bycatch.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
For the benefit of the committee, outline, if you can, how the department maintains that data. Where does it access that data from? Is it independent of the department, or are you simply using the data provided to you by outside parties?
President, Atlantic Groundfish Council
That's data that's provided to us by the Department of Fisheries.
President, Atlantic Groundfish Council
I would assume based on landings information.
Liberal
President, Atlantic Groundfish Council
It could be partly through dockside monitoring or observer data.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
My point is, the department does not independently, on its own, source that data.
Did they have a testing regime you're aware of that established the data you're using?
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
Okay.
My third question would be a follow-up on questions from Madame Desbiens.
The bycatch issue on redfish depends on which side of the fishery you're on, where it may be. Are you aware of the primary bycatch when you're pursuing the redfish fishery? Could you identify for the committee what the concern level should be and what species are more at risk of being caught as a bycatch on redfish?
President, Atlantic Groundfish Council
In the gulf, it's Atlantic halibut, as well as, I believe, witch flounder and some other groundfish species like witch flounder that have rebuilding plans in place.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
Could you provide to the committee ways in which the large mobile fleet they represent could mitigate bycatch on the more lucrative halibut that is primarily pursued by inshore fishers?
President, Atlantic Groundfish Council
The department has talked about separator panels, which we've used in other parts of Atlantic Canada. They do have impacts on the catch rates, but we are very much focused on fishing redfish in deeper waters, where, I understand, there are fewer bycatch issues.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
Could you explain how it would minimize bycatch issues simply by being in deeper water?
President, Atlantic Groundfish Council
I'd have to come back to you with some information on that, but I believe that at certain depths there is less of an issue with respect to bycatch of other species.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
Sure. Thank you.
To go back to the technology you referenced when you answered earlier, I believe you said separation doors. What was the terminology you used?
President, Atlantic Groundfish Council
No, that's something that has been used for a while in other parts.
President, Atlantic Groundfish Council
It can be effective. However, as I said, it has some downsides in terms of reducing the catch efficiency of the species you're directing for.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald
Thank you, Mr. Morrissey.
We'll now go to Madame Desbiens for two and a half minutes or less.
Bloc
Caroline Desbiens Bloc Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île dOrléans—Charlevoix, QC
Thank you.
I'm going to follow on from what Mr. Morrissey said, which will allow me to address a new question.
Fishers have told me that the offshore fishing technique means that bycatch is inevitably harvested in abundance and that the interest of redfish fishers isn't necessarily focused on this fish, given that it's worth 35¢ or 40¢ a pound while bycatch is worth $4 or $5 a pound.
You say that fishing techniques aren't what they were 30 years ago. Can you explain to me how offshore fishing techniques harvest less bycatch than they did 30 years ago?
President, Atlantic Groundfish Council
Harvesting bycatch is in no way our intention. Some of our members fish a redfish-centric fishery. Our organization, in terms of boats and processing plants, is vertical. We manage to get a value out of the redfish fishery that may not be possible for smaller fishermen who are organized differently. So we have no interest in turning to species that should be bycatch.
Bloc
Caroline Desbiens Bloc Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île dOrléans—Charlevoix, QC
What are you going to do with the bycatch? Are you going to put them back in the water?