Good afternoon, Mr. Chair and members of the committee. Thank you for the invitation to speak here today. I have appearing with me, Mr. Mitch Jollimore, who is a fisherman entrepreneur, as well as Mr. Gerard Watts, a representative from the Covehead Harbour Authority.
The P.E.I. Fishermen's Association was created in the 1950s to approach the federal government with one united voice. The PEIFA has evolved alongside the DFO to create the well-established working relationship that we still maintain today. The PEIFA represents approximately 1,275 core fishers.
Our goal here today is to focus on the impacts of Fiona on fish harvesters and on fisheries infrastructure as it relates specifically to Prince Edward Island.
The province of P.E.I. was heavily impacted by Fiona. The province had widespread power outages, with more than 85% of the province without power immediately following the storm. Some households and businesses were without power for almost three weeks.
We would like to commend the frontline responders and military for their hard work in the aftermath cleanup and restoration of power to the province.
Fisher harvesters in P.E.I. were significantly impacted by the storm. Several fisheries were still active, including the fall lobster fishery in LFA 25, tuna, halibut, rock crab and fall herring. The fall lobster fishery had untended gear in the water which was directly exposed to the full impact of the storm.
In the lead-up to the storm, captains worked to prevent and minimize damage to their fleet. Although every effort was made, the storm, as we know, was unprecedented.
In LFA 25, lobster harvesters experienced significant impact to onshore facilities, gear and revenue. For example, harvesters experienced lost and/or damaged gear. What was found showed significant signs of weathering. Extra time and expense were required to locate or repair missing gear. Catches were impacted, as lobsters do not trap well after such a storm and, in many cases, they were fishing with fewer traps.
For those who are dependent on employment insurance, a reduction in revenue and/or fishing time may impact qualifications. Overall, annual revenue for fish harvesters was impacted. This creates a hardship, especially for new entrants to the fishery. New entrants typically carry a higher debt load, making it more difficult to meet financial commitments.
It's unknown at this time what the impact is on the lobster habitat. However, the PEIFA, through the climate action fund, has commissioned two studies that look at the impacts of climate change on lobster and sediment transport. These are two issues that have been raised by fish harvesters and have been underscored by this unprecedented storm.
Specifically, one project is a climate change risk assessment to lobster. This study is being conducted in each of the P.E.I. LFAs. The work includes interviews and workshops with fishers, scientists and climate scientists to understand the pathway in which lobsters may be affected by climate change and how climate change may improve or degrade lobster survivability in P.E.I.
The results show that while climate change may in fact improve lobster survivability in the near term, certain aspects of climate change, such as extreme weather events or heat, are likely to negatively impact lobster in the future. The final report is not out yet, but is expected in the coming month.
The second one is a climate change study on impacts to sediment transport near small craft harbours in P.E.I. This was commissioned because of concerns over dredging requirements at small craft harbours. The study will include some sediment transport modelling at two small craft harbours, Skinners Pond and North Lake, and that will be used to estimate the impact of climate change on sediment transport. The results of the modelling will be used as a case study to understand potential impacts, and this is due out in 2023.
In the aftermath of the storm, there were requirements for lost fishing gear to be recovered and brought to shore through LFA 25. This challenge was met by members of the Prince County Fishermen’s Association and the PEIFA. Numerous boats retrieved lost equipment on the ocean surface or grappled for gear on the ocean floor over three days. A total of 35 volunteers worked hand in hand with DFO C and P, resulting in an orderly and impactful equipment recovery.
Although the lobster industry suffered the greatest impact, other fisheries were also impacted. There were delays in getting boats back on the water to resume fishing. Channels were inaccessible due to sediment buildup. There was a lack of ice to properly maintain catches, as well as a host of other issues with gear and onshore facilities.
In addition to the impact on the fisheries, there is a clear understanding that the rebuilding of wharf infrastructure is critically important and needs to be a primary focus. There are two wharves that are non-operational in P.E.I., Covehead and Stanley Bridge, a further nine wharves that are only partially operational and several others that have damage but are still operational.
This situation presents many significant challenges, including repairing existing infrastructure and properly improving vulnerable areas. We have aggressive timelines since the largest fishery on Prince Edward Island will commence in the spring of 2023, just six months away with the Canadian winter in between.
We commend the government for quickly announcing funds to assist the fishery. Three-hundred million dollars was announced, with a focus on repairing and enhancing the infrastructure at wharves. This is a good start. However, it is expected that the cost for repairs and upgrades will be substantially greater.
The damage experienced in P.E.I. from this category 2 storm was unprecedented. Should we get a category 4 or category 5 storm with the infrastructure we have, we would be wiped out. Moving forward, we need to prevent that by fixing what needs fixing and reinforcing what we have.
We look forward to working with all levels of government and to ensure our infrastructure is in good repair and ready for the future.
Thank you.