Good afternoon, Mr. Chair, and thank you very much.
It's a real pleasure to be joining you today, here on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people.
I'm pleased to be here with my department's senior management team, including my deputy minister, Annette Gibbons, and other senior officials from Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
I want to begin by providing members with a brief financial overview of my department's 2022-23 supplementary estimates (B).
In total, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard are seeking $453.3 million over and above what was approved in the main estimates. This is composed of $443.4 million in voted appropriations and $9.8 million in statutory appropriations.
There are four main business lines that will receive the bulk of this funding. This includes $194.7 million in re-profiled funding to focus on priorities related to indigenous rights and fisheries. By recognizing the tremendous social, cultural, spiritual and economic importance that fisheries and oceans have for indigenous peoples, and by respecting both inherent and treaty rights, we can help transform Canada's relationship with first nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. Funding from these supplementary estimates will help advance this work and propel us along the path of reconciliation.
Also included in these supplementary estimates is $95.3 million in new funding for phase 2 of the oceans protection plan. This money will be used to expand existing initiatives in new locations and develop new strategies that combat emerging threats to Canada's marine safety system and maritime supply chain. Under OPP renewal, we'll better protect the marine environment, reduce the negative impacts that marine traffic has on aquatic ecosystems, increase indigenous involvement in this work and make our supply chains more resilient, all while supporting Canada's economic growth.
Before I close, you will also note, in your package of material, $70.1 million in re-profiled funding for accommodation measures that will help address concerns raised by indigenous groups potentially impacted by the Trans Mountain expansion project.
I also want to note that these estimates contain $15.3 million to help advance a circular economy for plastics in Canada. Each year, millions of tons of plastic enter the ocean, where it poses a serious threat to marine life, ecosystems and human health. One way to address ocean plastics is through a closed-loop circular economy. This involves retrieving, reusing and recycling plastics already in the ocean, as well as working to prevent more plastic from entering the marine environment in the first place.
For my department, this involves addressing abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear, which is one of the most harmful sources of marine plastic litter. In the wake of post-tropical storm Fiona, the work being carried out under the ghost gear program is needed more than ever.
Before closing, I want to mention the Seal Summit that took place in St. John's earlier this month.
During this two-day gathering, I heard from science and fisheries management experts, indigenous people, industry experts and members of the Atlantic seal science task team, as well as members of Parliament. Together we gained a better understanding of the opportunities and challenges related to seals, explored opportunities to expand Canadian seal products into export markets, discussed the importance of the seal harvest to indigenous and coastal communities and shared ideas on how to address data gaps related to seal populations.
Moving forward, I'm committed to working with indigenous partners and industry to maintain existing markets for Canadian seal products, while also supporting the development of innovative new products and expanding access to export markets.
Thank you again for your time, and I look forward to your questions.
