Fisheries Committee on April 13th, 2022

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

I will now call this meeting to order.

Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to meeting number 17 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans. Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted on April 7, 2022, the committee is meeting to hear from the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard and officials on the issue of capelin fishing regulations impeding weir fishing in the Charlevoix region of Quebec.

This meeting is taking place in a hybrid format, pursuant to the House order of November 25, 2021. For those participating via video conference, which I think is everybody, when you are ready to speak, click on the icon to activate your mike. Please speak slowly and clearly for the interpreters. When you are not speaking, your mike should be on mute. Interpretation is available for this meeting. You have the choice, at the bottom of your screen, of floor, English or French. Please inform me immediately if interpretation is lost. We'll ensure that it's restored before resuming. For members on Zoom, please use the “raise hand” function to speak or to alert the chair. All comments should be addressed through the chair.

I'd now like to welcome the Honourable Joyce Murray, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, who will be with us for the first hour.

We'd also like to welcome our Department of Fisheries and Oceans officials, who have joined us virtually as well for the full two hours. We have with us, once again, Mr. Timothy Sargent, deputy minister; Mr. Adam Burns, acting assistant deputy minister of fisheries and harbour management; Mr. Sylvain Vézina, regional director general from the Quebec region; and from here in Newfoundland and Labrador, Mr. Tony Blanchard, regional director general.

I understand that we have some substitutions here today. Jenna Sudds, MP for Kanata—Carleton, is subbing in. Jaime Battiste, MP for Sydney—Victoria, is also joining us.

One other, Francesco Sorbara, the member for Vaughan—Woodbridge, was to be joining us as well.

[Francesco Sorbara, Liberal, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

Greetings, Ken. I'm here.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Okay. Good.

Minister, we'll now go to you for opening remarks for five minutes or less. I don't know if any of the officials are speaking as well, but you can let us know if they are.

Whenever you're ready, please go ahead.

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries]

Good morning, Mr. Chair and colleagues, the regulars and the subs to the committee. It's a pleasure to join you from my home on the unceded territory of the Coast Salish nations and to attend with senior officials from Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

For those who would prefer to hear my remarks in English, please listen to the interpretation.

Capelin is a small pelagic fish widely distributed throughout the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and it plays an important role in the marine ecosystem as a key forage species for numerous marine fish, mammals and seabirds.

In the estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence, which represent the 4RST divisions of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization, or NAFO, capelin is managed as a single stock. The spawning season of the stock begins in the upper estuary in late April and early May, and progresses eastwards and northwards in July and August.

Newfoundland and Labrador region is the department’s lead region managing the 4RST capelin stock. Its management is conducted through a multiregion advisory process involving the department’s Quebec and Gulf regions, as these three regions have fish harvesters with fishing access to the stock.

The 4RST capelin fishery dates back over 100 years and is currently managed on the basis of a single total allowable catch, or TAC.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Minister, can you try moving your boom up a bit higher?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Okay. I'll try that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

It sounds much better now.

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

All right. Good.

I'm sorry about that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Thank you.

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Historically, Gulf capelin have been mostly landed by the Newfoundland seiner fleet in area 4R, the area of the Gulf of St. Lawrence near the western coast of Newfoundland.

Quebec capelin fisheries do not occur in that portion of the Gulf and, instead, only take place in areas 4ST, the eastern portion of the northern Gulf and in the southern Gulf. The province has a small-scale weir fishery in the estuary that has opened on May 1 in previous years, while the main fishery in Quebec occurs in June in area 4S, off the coast of Blanc‑Sablon on Quebec's lower north shore.

As mentioned, the capelin weir fishery in the estuary is small in scale, with only two active licence holders. This fishery targets capelin during beach spawning events. In April 2021, the licence holders involved in the capelin weir fishery in the estuary requested the advancement of the opening date of their fishery to April 1, from the usual May 1 opening. At that time, the 2021 stock assessment and advisory committee meeting had already taken place, which were respectively held on March 18, 2021 and on March 26, 2021.

The next 4RST capelin stock assessment is scheduled to begin on April 20, and the advisory committee will be held a few days later on April 25, 2022. The request by licence holders to advance the opening date of the capelin weir fishery in the estuary will be discussed at the April 25 advisory committee meeting. As part of the ongoing process, we will evaluate the advancement of the opening date of this fishery to April 1, starting in 2023.

Following the stock assessment on April 20 to 21 and the advisory committee meeting on April 25, I have asked officials to prepare options, in consultation with the industry, that could allow weir fishermen to open before May 1 if the assessment is positive. This consultation approach regarding modification to management measures is consistent across all fisheries in Canada.

I am happy to answer any questions related to this work.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Thank you, Minister.

We'll now start our rounds of questioning.

Up first is Mr. Perkins for six minutes or less.

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

Minister, thank you very much for joining us today in this unusual meeting during our constituency break. I appreciate your accommodation of Madame Desbiens' request.

Thank you very much also to my colleagues on the committee for putting aside time for this.

Minister, in your opening remarks you mentioned that you're looking at this for next year, and I appreciate that. Was there no consultation with the weir fishermen before the meeting of the advisory committee that was held in March of this year?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Thanks for that question, Mr. Perkins.

We always do consultation with the fish harvesters involved in the fishery. That's done after the departmental experts have looked at the data, analyzed it and brought it together. The options are then presented in those consultations.

I will ask my staff if they'd like to add any other details .

[Timothy Sargent, Deputy Minister, Department of Fisheries and Oceans]

Sylvain, perhaps you could comment on this one.

[Sylvain Vézina, Regional Director General, Quebec Region, Department of Fisheries and Oceans]

Thank you.

Good afternoon, Mr. Chair.

This year's capelin consultations have not been held yet. Last year, they were held in March. This year, the advisory committee's consultations are scheduled for April 25, in just over a week.

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

Thank you.

Is that it from the officials? Okay.

Minister, I was looking at the integrated fisheries management plan for capelin in 4RST. In what year was that integrated fisheries management plan first launched?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

I'll ask the officials to answer that question about the date.

[Timothy Sargent]

Sylvain?

[Sylvain Vézina]

Since the fishery is managed by my colleague Tony Blanchard, I would ask him to answer this question, please.

Thank you.

[Tony Blanchard, Regional Director General, Newfoundland and Labrador Region, Department of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Chair, I'm not sure of the exact date.

I can check that. Some of these plans are updated.

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

Would it be 10 years ago or maybe five years ago, just generally?

[Tony Blanchard]

Yes. It was likely around 10 years ago, but I'll get the date and get back to you.

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

Thank you.

I don't need the specific date. I was looking for the year, just generally.

Is it updated every year with the latest thinking or understanding?

[Tony Blanchard]

The document is not necessarily updated every year. It could be every two years, and then it's updated with what the latest information is at the time.

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

Okay.

This might have been updated last year or two years ago.