Thank you, Chairman McDonald, Vice-Chairs Arnold and Desbiens and members of the committee. I appreciate the opportunity to appear before you today. I wish I could be there in person, but I will say that we're sharing your Canadian air here in the United States.
The Great Lakes are a true natural treasure and a critical binational resource that Canada and the United States must continue to prioritize and protect for future generations.
As someone from Michigan and one of the co-chairs of the congressional Great Lakes task force, I will say that the restoration and protection of the Great Lakes have been a top priority for me from the moment I came to Congress. I am pleased that a similar task force now also exists in Canada.
For those who may not know me, I grew up in St. Clair, Michigan, which sits directly across the St. Clair River from southern Ontario. I spent many summers in my inner tube going down that river. By the way, in those days, we didn't know what customs or immigration was. I was on Stag Island, which is in Canada, more than in my own country in the summer.
Those of us who grew up in a border town know innately the special bond that exists between our two nations. My district now is north of Canada, and I, too, look at Canada very frequently. We celebrate the only North American international wildlife refuge as well. The Great Lakes unite us as a region. They are both a binational and a bipartisan priority for all of us.
Since its establishment, the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in my district, has been tasked with managing and protecting this vital fishery. It has proved to be a remarkable success. Thanks to binational co-operation, our shared fishery is thriving and now accounts for more than $8 billion in economic activity each year.
With all that said, I am deeply concerned about the state of the commission today. The Great Lakes Fishery Commission has not met in more than a year and has not had a regular program since 2021.
Part of the problem was the considerable funding gap, which I am pleased to note the Government of Canada addressed in its 2022 budget. However, the budget did not remedy the problem. Rather, it is our understanding that structural issues in Canada—which are the subject of today's hearing—have crippled the commission's ability to do its job.
The commission's U.S. section has informed me that the failure of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to deliver the funds to the commission in a timely manner led to the cancellation of the commission's budget meeting last fall, the first time in the organization's history that this binational commission was unable to meet.
Moreover, when the funds were announced, the commissioners were informed that the department would retain millions of dollars. Essentially, the department—not the commissioners—determined the program. The 1954 treaty is clear that the commissioners—who are appointed at the highest level—determine the program.
Since 2018, the commission, members of the public and scores of members of Parliament have supported a proposal to move the commission's file from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to Global Affairs Canada. This week, I also led a letter, with many of my bipartisan colleagues on the congressional Great Lakes task force, to Prime Minister Trudeau to express our serious concerns and to add our support to this proposal. This would mirror the governance structure in the United States.
Let me be clear: I respect Canada's sovereignty and would never do anything to harm this close relationship we all have. I'm speaking for myself and not on behalf of the U.S. government. But we need a long-term solution. We need to get the commissioners meeting again.
There is an old saying, “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” Our two nations, I sincerely believe, will always choose to go together. That includes working together to protect our shared Great Lakes fishery.
Again, thank you for inviting me to testify—that's the Canadian air we're experiencing; I'm sorry, but my asthma has been acting up—and for holding this hearing. I'm glad to share it with you, because [Inaudible—Editor] experiences, and it is in our shared collective interest that the Great Lakes Fishery Commission is able to successfully carry out its binational mission.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.