Evidence of meeting #130 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 habitat.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Senior Conservation Biologist, Freshwater Ecology, Canadian Wildlife Federation
That's the other half of Mr. Hardie's question.
Senior Conservation Biologist, Freshwater Ecology, Canadian Wildlife Federation
I don't really have the expertise to respond to that question. I know there are equivalencies with the province, and those powers can be delegated. I don't know, province by province, where those enforcement powers have been delegated.
There is certainly an opportunity, with the emergence of a lot of now-successful first nations guardians programs or indigenous guardians programs, for those guardians to be given those enforcement powers. As an example, one of our partners, Nuxalk Nation in British Columbia, has been given enforcement powers through BC Parks. That's a model that could be explored by DFO.
Bloc
Caroline Desbiens Bloc Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île dOrléans—Charlevoix, QC
Quebec is currently experiencing a problem with salmon. Salmon numbers are falling dramatically. We're seeing capelin disappear as well, even though we fought tooth and nail to prevent that. In addition, we are seeing the comeback of striped bass, a species which, presumably, is still considered to be on the verge of extinction by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, or DFO. However, in weir fisheries and in rivers, our fishers are seeing only striped bass.
A new species of striped bass seems to have made its way into the system, but DFO does not take it into account in its data. It only keeps data on the old species and insists that the striped bass is on the brink of extinction when everyone on the ground is saying the opposite.
We also see on the ground that there are no more salmon. And yet we have photographic evidence of striped bass with bellies full of baby salmon.
In your opinion, what kind of provision could be included in the Fisheries Act to force DFO to lend more weight to what people on the ground are seeing?
Senior Conservation Biologist, Freshwater Ecology, Canadian Wildlife Federation
I'm not sure if that needs to be in the Fisheries Act, but perhaps having clearer end requirements for timelines for making these decisions could be under the Species at Risk Act. I think in that situation, species that have been assessed as being at risk are not being listed in it or the decisions aren't being made in a timely manner. This situation is the opposite: The situation has changed, but the previous decision hasn't been undone.
Managing our species at risk can't take decades. By definition, they're in crisis, and these decisions need to be made quickly.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald
Thank you, Madame Desbiens.
We'll now go to Ms. Barron for two and a half minutes or less, please.
NDP
Lisa Marie Barron NDP Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC
Thank you, Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Lapointe, for being here. Mr. Gratton, if I have time at the end of this, I will certainly ask you a question as well. Thank you for being here.
I want to take the opportunity to use my time here today, Mr. Chair, to bring forward a motion I had previously brought forward on October 30, 2024, for the committee to consider.
I brought forward this motion, Mr. Chair, for many reasons, but we saw it again today when the Conservatives were continually diminishing the impacts of open-net fish farms on our B.C. waters. We hear the argument over and over again about which harms are most important, which is really irrelevant. If there's a harm, it needs to be removed. We don't need to be talking about or diminishing the impacts of one harm by bringing forward another.
It seems particularly timely that I bring forward this motion, given that the parliamentary restaurant and food and catering services only serve farmed salmon. We know also the Liberal government has made clear its stance that they are transitioning away from open-net pen fish farms.
It's for those reasons I would like to move this motion today and have a vote on this motion.
I'll read it out. The clerk does have it, if any of the members would like to have it resent for their review.
I will read it one more time:
That, given that the House of Commons Administration serves only farmed salmon in its food and catering services, and that open net pen fish farms pollute our waters and spread diseases in the surrounding marine ecosystem, and that the government has committed to a transition away from open net pen salmon farms, the committee write a letter to the Speaker of the House of Commons calling for the House of Commons administration to end the practice of purchasing farmed salmon from open net pen salmon farms.
With that, Mr. Chair, I hope I will get support from my colleagues to write this letter to highlight our concern and to ask the Speaker to end this practice so that we can see the purchasing of our food being done in a more sustainable way.
Liberal
Conservative
Clifford Small Conservative Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL
[Inaudible—Editor] Hamas too. Don't forget.
NDP
Lisa Marie Barron NDP Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC
Excuse me?
I have a point order. Sorry, to my colleague, Mr. Small, I have a point of order.
NDP
Lisa Marie Barron NDP Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I would like to highlight the conduct of my colleague in the Conservatives, who just made a very insulting and untrue comment. I would like to ask him to please apologize for his comment today, as it is completely not in line with the conduct we have for one another and respect for one another we have around the table.
Liberal
NDP
Lisa Marie Barron NDP Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC
Mr. Chair, is there any process in place? Perhaps to the clerk, when a member outright insults another member at the table, how can this be addressed?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald
There's not a process that I know of, and the clerk is not telling me anything. It might be something you might want to bring up in the House itself and see if it'll get dealt with through the Speaker that way.
NDP
Lisa Marie Barron NDP Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I would like us to please make sure that when something like this happens, we have all the information we need to address it and to hold members to account when their behaviour is disrespectful to their fellow colleagues.
November 25th, 2024 / 12:55 p.m.
Liberal
Liberal
Patrick Weiler Liberal West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC
I want to agree with what Ms. Barron said. It's completely unacceptable for members of a committee to mention under their breath that a member of this committee is a supporter of a terrorist organization—
Liberal
Patrick Weiler Liberal West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC
—and it is completely unparliamentary. There's no place for that at this committee or in this House.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald
Mr. Stewart, please don't speak unless you're recognized. You've done it often enough today during the committee study. You were blurting at the witnesses or saying something to the people opposite. We don't normally have that at this committee, where we operate based on motions and studies and everything else. We don't argue with the Conservative side over bringing forward a motion. If it's a good motion, everybody supports it.
I would ask you not to interrupt until you're recognized. I'm not recognizing you right now, so you can keep your hand where you like.
Go ahead, Mr. Kelloway.
Liberal
Mike Kelloway Liberal Cape Breton—Canso, NS
I'm going to reiterate what a couple of folks have said around the table.
I'm very proud of this particular committee. We often have our disagreements on policy, but this is really uncalled for. It's unnecessary. I expect better.
Do I still have the mic, Mr. Chair?
Conservative
Jake Stewart Conservative Miramichi—Grand Lake, NB
I have a point of order.
The member from the NDP just referred to me with a term that's unparliamentary.