Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Badawey raised a really important question.
One of the most important tools and keys to the success of the commission over the years has been the independence of the commission, the ability of the commission, as Madame Desbiens mentioned earlier, to be nimble and respond on the ground. That's really what this is. The title of this study is “Allocation of Resources to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission”, but at the heart, it's not really about money. It's about independence and the ability to reach across the borders.
There are eight Great Lakes states and the province of Ontario at play here, and countless partners. What's happened is that the GLFC's ability to make decisions independently of the portfolio manager has come under stress. That's the critical bit.
We put forward an MOA that would help. Mr. Hardie asked why we need to codify this. It's because, over time, those independent abilities to set our programming have been eroded. That needs to be re-established in accordance with the treaty.
I would note that this committee did a study. I believe it was the eighth report, the science report. In that, it made some specific suggestions. On page 39 of the report, there was some commentary that talked about “good policy...being incorrectly implemented.” There was testimony given that relates to recommendation 4 and recommendation 19 in that study, which talk about the structural problems within DFO that are hindering science.
Of course, the GLFC is more than just about sea lamprey. We administer sea lamprey control. We're responsible for Great Lakes science. We're primarily responsible for reaching across the borders and working independently on a strategic plan with U.S. partners. All of those things combined require independence, not least because the federal government doesn't have jurisdiction over fish in the Great Lakes.
The parliamentary secretary mentioned earlier the other fishery commissions that DFO is responsible for. The reason this is unique is that we're unique. We work with the states and we work with the Province of Ontario because they are the governments of primary jurisdiction for fisheries management.
Frankly, before the commission came along, there was a lot of work being done in all of the jurisdictions separately, and it failed. It was only once we began doing things seamlessly and reaching across borders in this border-blind way that we got successful. It's incredibly important for us and for our programming that we continue to have that independence. It's enshrined in the convention, and that's why.
Sea lampreys don't have pockets. They don't carry passports. We need to be able to reach across those borders, which is of critical importance for us in executing a nimble program that's responsive. I always say that we don't manage the fish; we manage the people who manage the fish. That's why it's of critical importance that we have this clarity on independence and governance.