Fisheries Committee on Dec. 2nd, 2022

[Lisa Marie Barron, NDP, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Can we expect Pangnirtung Fisheries to be receiving any funding in the near future to help with their plant specifically?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

I can take that question back—unless someone here has the answer—and we can provide you an update on the Pangnirtung plant.

[Annette Gibbons]

We do have funding programs, including an Arctic fisheries funding program. As for the specific eligibility, obviously we always have to assess that case by case.

[Lisa Marie Barron, NDP, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Thank you so much. I look forward to getting more information so I can pass that on to them.

My next question is about the B.C. shellfish and seaweed growers, who are aligned in their request for critically needed dedicated staff and DFO resources, as well as for improved timelines for licence renewals or for receiving new licences. These are important opportunities for a transition away from polluting open-net fish farms through the lateral movement of workers, and it is an important sector of the blue economy for decarbonization.

When can B.C. shellfish and seaweed growers expect the support they need?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

I appreciate that question.

The member's thinking and my own are very much aligned with respect to the importance of the shellfish industry. It's also a carbon mitigation program, as is growing seaweed and various sea plants. This is something we're working on.

I'll turn it over to my staff for any further specifics. I'm certainly committed to that on the west coast and east coast alike.

[Lisa Marie Barron, NDP, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Thank you, Minister. With all respect, perhaps I can link back to the second half of that question, and I look forward to a response on that from you.

Minister, we were talking earlier about a very spiritual experience and the honour we felt to be participating in a salmon dance recently in the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation and Wild First salmon alliance gathering, where we heard from chiefs across British Columbia who spoke to both of us about their desire to get open-net fish farms out of the water and to remove them from the critical migration routes. They want to see a shift to land-based closed containment and a transition plan for impacted communities.

We've heard testimony from Dr. Andrew Bateman, who clearly testified that the CSAS process, the Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat process, is far from objective and is industry-influenced. The vast majority of science around the fish industry states very contrary outcomes to what we're seeing around CSAS.

We also have the precautionary principle, which is meant for scenarios exactly like the one we're seeing with the fish farms today.

Minister, are you going to err on the side of caution and respond and act on the vast majority of B.C. first nation food security concerns, or will you and your department continue to support multinational companies that continue to profit from damaging Canada's environment and wild salmon stocks?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Thank you.

For the member, we have committed to a transition away from open net-pen salmon aquaculture on the west coast. I have committed to have a plan in place by this coming June 2023, and we are consulting widely as we develop that plan with indigenous communities that are on the coast, as well as indigenous communities in the interior, which is where salmon originate and return to spawn. That's why I think their voices are very important also.

We have three rounds of consultations, and very shortly we'll be presenting our way forward.

[Lisa Marie Barron, NDP, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Thank you, Minister.

I just want to—

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Thank you, Ms. Barron. You're dead-on for the six-minute mark.

We'll now go to Mr. Arnold for five minutes or less, please.

[Mel Arnold, Conservative, North Okanagan—Shuswap, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I thank the minister for being here today.

Minister, because you're here for only one hour and the officials are here for two, I wish to hear from you in the limited time we have. If you're not able to directly answer questions, can you just say so and provide the committee with the answers in writing in a timely manner? Can we agree to this approach?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Please proceed with your questions.

[Mel Arnold, Conservative, North Okanagan—Shuswap, BC]

Thank you.

In regard to aquatic invasive species, do you think it's fair that B.C. waters receive significantly less funding than other regions?

[Serge Cormier, Liberal, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Go ahead, Mr. Cormier.

[Serge Cormier, Liberal, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

I don't want to cut off my colleague and I'm sure it's not on purpose, but Mr. Arnold doesn't have his camera on. Maybe it's just a problem of—

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Mr. Arnold, could you please turn on your camera when you're speaking?

[Mel Arnold, Conservative, North Okanagan—Shuswap, BC]

I'm trying here, and it seems to be blocked, Mr. Chair. I'm not sure if the clerk can change that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

She's checking you now.

It's still not working, Mr. Arnold, so perhaps I'll just jump ahead to Mr. Kelloway and come back to you and see if that can be corrected. We'll start off at your five-minute mark again. Otherwise, Mr. Perkins can jump in and do your spot and you can take his. How's that?

[Mel Arnold, Conservative, North Okanagan—Shuswap, BC]

I would rather pass it on to the Liberal member and come back with my questions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Okay. I don't blame you. I'm not a real fan of Mr. Perkins either.

[Voices]

Oh, oh!

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

We'll go to Mr. Kelloway for five minutes or less.

Hopefully, we'll get you connected, Mr. Arnold, and we'll go back to you.

[Mike Kelloway, Liberal, Cape Breton—Canso, NS]

You'll get a Christmas card from me, Mr. Perkins.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I appreciate that.

Minister, it's great to see you and it's great to see the officials here.

Minister, the supplementary estimates (B) contain funding for the circular economy and, more specifically, the ghost gear program. We've actually heard a fair bit over the past month about Canada's efforts to remove ghost gear from our waters, especially as it relates to the safety of the North Atlantic right whale.

We've also heard a bit of testimony about how strong our provisions are, but there was also a lot of concern, Minister, about the red listing of Canadian seafood by Seafood Watch. I wonder if you could speak to the work the government is doing to protect the North Atlantic right whale and to this unfounded red listing.

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Thank you for that question.

I couldn't agree more that this listing is unfounded. Canada is leading in the extent and type of protections that we're putting in place, from dynamic closures to satellite tracking of whales so we know where they are to ropeless gear that we're piloting and that is working very well. There have been no known deaths of North Atlantic right whales in Canadian waters in the last two years. This is a huge priority for us, and we are doing the work.

When I spoke with Dr. Spinrad, who is my counterpart in the United States, about our dismay around this red listing, which is costing our harvesters, who have some of the toughest jobs in the country out there on those waters, he was in agreement with that. He shared with me that he will be discussing that with his department and with the Monterey Bay Aquarium to make sure that they do understand all the things that have been put in place in Canada, and that we continue to put in place.

[Mike Kelloway, Liberal, Cape Breton—Canso, NS]

Thanks, Minister. It's great to hear those conversations are happening with the Americans. I couldn't agree more that the greatest of environmental stewards are fish harvesters, so I appreciate that comment.

Supplementary estimates (B) also contain about $194 million of reprofile funding to advance reconciliation on indigenous rights and fisheries issues. Can you speak a bit, in the time we have, about the important work we're doing with indigenous communities, how it relates to moderate livelihood, and the important role that funding like this plays in that?