Fisheries Committee on Oct. 26th, 2023

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

Would you, and provide it back to the committee?

If it was retrieved after, is the process the same? With all gear that was retrieved, was the actual original owner sought out, and were the traps returned to the original owner with no charges laid?

[Adam Burns]

I can't speak to specific cases, but I can tell you that when we retrieve gear through the ghost gear program, we first look at the portion that can be identified. Not all of the gear can be identified in terms of who the owner is. We then look at whether that gear was reported as lost, and that information is provided to our conservation and protection staff for further action, as appropriate, depending on the circumstances.

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

Could you provide to the committee in writing, following this, exactly what transpired with the retrieval of gear that was conducted a couple of weeks ago in LFA 25 between New Brunswick and P.E.I.? Could you provide to the committee what action was taken on the traps that were retrieved and whether charges were laid as a result? Where did the traps go after they were recovered?

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Thank you, Mr. Morrissey.

We'll now go—

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

Mr. Chair, as long as I can get.... Is that clear? Are we going to get that information?

[Adam Burns]

We will provide you with a response and all of the information we have available, yes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

We'll now go to Madame Desbiens for six minutes or less, please.

[Caroline Desbiens, Bloc, Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I want to thank the witnesses for being with us. We know them well and we are pleased to see them again.

I don't know who would be able to answer my question. Ms. Gibbons, maybe you could do it.

Has there been an update to the Fisheries Fund? Is there any money left in the fund, and if so, how much? Are you able to tell us?

[Annette Gibbons]

Yes, there is money left. If you are talking about the Quebec fisheries fund, I can tell you that we have extended it. We are going to accept applications until next March. So there are two years left. I think that about 55% of the money in the initial budget will be available to be invested in the future.

[Caroline Desbiens, Bloc, Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC]

Ms. Gibbons, I pointed out when the question was asked that people had been waiting a long time for a grievance to be resolved and that they were experiencing psychological distress because of that. You announced to us at that time that there was going to be a review of the approach taken. We are still getting calls telling us that there has been no progress.

Can you tell us whether there will be new facts about this soon? People have been waiting a long time for their grievance to be resolved, some of them for seven years.

[Annette Gibbons]

I know there are complex cases, as there are in all departments.

I can't comment on the timetable for resolving particular cases. However, I can tell you that I am in ongoing discussions with the commissioner and with the case resolution management team. We have an internal committee that looks at the more complex cases to try to find solutions for employees as quickly as possible.

There is also an ombudsman in the department who can support the other human resources management processes and contribute to making the processes less formal. That is an avenue that can alleviate employees' fears.

[Caroline Desbiens, Bloc, Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC]

People are listening to us. I hope you are able to tell them that seven years is too long and it has to take a lot less time than that. There are people whose entire lives are focused on their work. For most people, work plays an important role in their lives. When there is a grievance, some people experience major psychological distress and family conflicts, they lose their home, they divorce, and so on. There are very serious consequences if it takes too long to resolve their grievance. I would really like you to tell them today that there is hope.

I will come back to the fisheries fund now.

You say that 55% of the Quebec fisheries fund is left. Do you have an idea of what will become of that fund, or are you waiting for applications between now and March?

[Annette Gibbons]

Different paths have been taken. We are putting considerable emphasis on implementing technology on the boats to make them more sustainable for the fishers and better for the environment. That is an area of interest to Canada and Quebec and to the fisheries sector.

While following those paths, we are continuing to pursue the objectives we set at the outset, because they are still relevant.

[Caroline Desbiens, Bloc, Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC]

Are you considering providing support? The financial situation of fishers who have suffered fishery closings is still getting worse; this was discussed last year. There are plant workers who do not qualify for employment insurance.

Are you able to tell us whether you are studying the possibility of these people being supported for the time it takes for them to make the transition to another type of fishing or to receive new ocean perch licences, for example? These people are waiting to reorganize, but they have lost a lot of money. Are you able to tell us whether you are considering financial support or some other form of assistance for these people?

[Annette Gibbons]

These are certainly difficult situations. We always try to see what potential solutions there are and how the available resources could be useful to various persons in the sector. We are going to continue doing this when it comes to the changes affecting the various types of fishery.

[Caroline Desbiens, Bloc, Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC]

In the fishing industry, no one hesitates today to say there is a fisheries crisis. Is that a term you use, yourself? Are you able to tell us whether there actually is a fisheries crisis, or is it just the industry it affects that may call it that?

[Annette Gibbons]

There are a lot of fisheries that are doing fine and bringing in good incomes for fishers. For example, the shrimp fishery is a very widespread fishery. A lot of fishers earn their living from that fishery. Not all sectors are experiencing a crisis. As the minister said, climate change and other factors are having an impact on the fishing industry. There are certainly some situations that are more critical than others.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Thank you.

We'll now go to Ms. Barron for six minutes or less, please.

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

Thank you, Chair.

Welcome to everyone here.

My first question relates to Vancouver Island—in my riding and in surrounding communities as well—where I heard from salmon trollers in the summer that the start of their fishing season was significantly delayed, and at the very last minute, almost totally without notice or consultation.

You know that I support, as well as coastal communities and fishers, the conservation and protection of wild salmon, but it's this exact chronic and repeated lack of consultation and consideration that alienates the department from the fishers with whom it should be working closely.

Can you please explain the rationale behind the decision in this case, and what consultation has been done with fishers?

[Annette Gibbons]

I've certainly heard similar concerns about the time between the announcements and the start of the fisheries, and the lack of advance notice this year. That is obviously a concern.

I would just say in general that on the west coast, with salmon as a case in point, we have these very detailed fish management plans on a regional basis, and we do extensive consultations before we complete them. We consult with people to develop the plans, just because of salmon, in particular, being a resource with many different species, and the fact that it's in the ocean, up rivers—just the area it covers is huge. Of course, stocks are mostly not in great shape, so we didn't spend a lot of time on those consultations in the development, and sometimes we run up against the clock in terms of the opening.

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

Thank you, Ms. Gibbons. I appreciate and agree, of course, as I said, with the conservation and protection of wild salmon.

However, can you explain why I am hearing from so many salmon trollers in areas F and G who are saying that they did not receive this consultation you are talking about? They received very short notice, therefore it limited the amount of time they were able to be out on the water and providing a livelihood for their families and communities.

[Annette Gibbons]

The plans I see include an extensive consultation component, so I can't speak to every single community. You're saying there are some who were not included.

Certainly from where I sit, my team does very extensive on-the-ground engagement on salmon fisheries.

If you have more specific examples you'd like to share, I am happy to look into those.

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

That's exactly what I was just thinking. We can continue this conversation, and I can provide you with specifics in the hopes that the people who have been impacted can have their voices heard and have some solutions, in particular, so this is not repeated.

The other question I have is around the crab fishing season in Newfoundland and Labrador. It saw a severe collapse in prices that led to lost work, and many people were unable to qualify for the seasonal employment insurance that allows them to feed their families throughout the off-season.

At the same time as all this was happening, to make matters worse, the government changed the EI eligibility criteria to make it even harder for many of these fishers and those impacted to be able to qualify.

Daniel Blaikie, who is the NDP critic for employment and workforce development, and I wrote a letter to the minister asking if the minister will be supporting the FFAW's emergency economic support proposal. I would like to get your thoughts on the matter, please.

[Annette Gibbons]

We extended the season so that harvesters could get out and catch their quota, so there was certainly a lot of back-and-forth with the harvester community to really make sure we were able to support them, given the late start to the season.

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

Thank you.

Another question I have is around evidence that Alaskan fisheries are catching hundreds of thousands of fish bound for Canadian rivers. In fact, Alaska has become the biggest harvester of B.C. wild salmon populations, even as our stocks are declining.

I've asked this question before, and my colleagues have asked this before, and I'd like to have a clear answer. What is the department going to do between now and 2028, when the treaty is renewed, to protect wild salmon that are in crisis right now?