Evidence of meeting #90 for Fisheries and Oceans in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was fines.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:30 p.m.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
You served for four years as the minister, but failed to make any move in that area. Is that correct?
12:30 p.m.
Former Minister of Fisheries and Communities, Government of Prince Edward Island, As an Individual
The problem is the actual court system. The courts will ask for case law, and they will give out a certain fine.
12:30 p.m.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
You were the minister. You had responsibility for the regulations. You had responsibility for the act. You did not take any measures to increase fines to the level that was referenced by the PEIFA, or even by you, that would actually be a deterrent.
Am I correct?
For four years—
12:30 p.m.
Former Minister of Fisheries and Communities, Government of Prince Edward Island, As an Individual
No. You're not.
12:30 p.m.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
I just want to be clear.
The other thing, for the record, that was mentioned here, Mr. Chair.... Again, a reference was made to “adequately funded” support for conservation and protection.
The record will show clearly that the protection and compliance department at DFO was gutted between 2007 and 2015 by a former government.
Are you well aware of that?
12:30 p.m.
Former Minister of Fisheries and Communities, Government of Prince Edward Island, As an Individual
I'm not aware of that.
12:30 p.m.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
You're not aware of that. I'm surprised. That was extremely.... The numbers....
For the last number of years, that division has increased its personnel by several hundred people through budget allocations from our government, because we recognize that the fishery is so important to communities and must be protected.
Mr. MacPherson, would you agree that one of the areas of conflict is the first nations fishing product that is at a lesser carapace size than what the commercial fishers are licensed for? I believe it occurs more in New Brunswick than it has been occurring in the gulf.
If the buyers and processors did not buy that product, it would be a significant deterrent to anybody from being involved in that. Is that a correct assessment?
12:30 p.m.
Executive Director, Prince Edward Island Fishermen's Association
I think so. I would say it creates a lot of questions from non-indigenous fishers as to why we have the two—
12:30 p.m.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
We get this report that there are some first nations fishers fishing at a smaller carapace size. This is of value only if somebody buys it.
12:30 p.m.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
Again, the buying of that product and the processing are the sole responsibility of the provinces, which license those identities.
12:30 p.m.
Executive Director, Prince Edward Island Fishermen's Association
Yes, but it is a legal carapace size.
12:30 p.m.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
It is a legal [Inaudible—Editor], but the provincial regulators could impose their own regulations on that.
12:30 p.m.
Executive Director, Prince Edward Island Fishermen's Association
I'm not sure about that. I'd have to defer to someone from the province.
12:30 p.m.
Liberal
12:30 p.m.
Former Minister of Fisheries and Communities, Government of Prince Edward Island, As an Individual
The province has no jurisdiction over the carapace size of a species of fish being caught. That's the complete jurisdiction of the federal government and the minister responsible for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
12:35 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald
Thank you, Mr. Morrissey. Your time is up.
We'll now go to Madame Desbiens for two and a half minutes or less.
12:35 p.m.
Bloc
Caroline Desbiens Bloc Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île dOrléans—Charlevoix, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Fox, you talked about the importance of bigger fines. You said every region was being impacted, although some more than others.
Which parts of Atlantic Canada and Quebec experience more illegal fishing? Have you been able to identify them, or is it all still murky? The argument is that we need to quantify illegal fishing, but obviously, if we could quantify it, we could target and stop it. Therein lies the problem.
Does your data show that certain parts of the east coast are subject to illegal fishing more than others?
12:35 p.m.
Former Minister of Fisheries and Communities, Government of Prince Edward Island, As an Individual
There are some regions that are more of a concern than others in Atlantic Canada. I can say that those areas are under the watch of DFO conservation protection in conjunction with other members of the federal government's investigative agencies.
To answer your question, yes, there are some areas that are more aware than others.
12:35 p.m.
Bloc
Caroline Desbiens Bloc Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île dOrléans—Charlevoix, QC
You can't name them, can you?
12:35 p.m.
Former Minister of Fisheries and Communities, Government of Prince Edward Island, As an Individual
I didn't understand that.
12:35 p.m.
Bloc
Caroline Desbiens Bloc Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île dOrléans—Charlevoix, QC
I said that you couldn't name them for me.
12:35 p.m.
Former Minister of Fisheries and Communities, Government of Prince Edward Island, As an Individual
I would not want to jeopardize any ongoing investigation I may have knowledge of by saying that, Mr. Chair.
12:35 p.m.
Bloc