Fisheries Committee on Feb. 13th, 2024

[Annette Gibbons]

The role is focused on the management of the resource. We take into account, of course, the socio-economic reality of the management of the resource, and the interests of communities are very important.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

You've known about these issues for several years, and they've basically mushroomed. You've had over a year now to come up with a management plan. Why is a year not enough?

You've had nearly a 50% increase in your staff, over a doubling in DFO's budget since 2015, when this government was elected. What do you need to get the job done? Is it possible that you can do the job?

[Annette Gibbons]

I would say—and it's a point I made before, not to put everything on this—the regulatory process is really the key determinant of the speed at which we go.

There are, as you know, Mr. Chair, steps that we follow when we're bringing in regulations, and they take time. Regulatory processes typically take more than two years.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

I heard you, when you were talking to Mr. Perkins, talk about a traceability system. The elver harvesters themselves identified two contractors who could have provided traceability to you. Did you speak to either one of those contractors? Did you let them know that you had this traceability system out to tender?

[Annette Gibbons]

I'll ask Adam about conversations. I know there were definitely conversations with the elver licence-holders on traceability systems, and we were working together on what we could do.

I think that, ultimately, because the department was working on the regulations, and the regulations and the traceability system are two sides of the same coin, to do traceability without the regulations is limited.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

Did you locate anyone who could bid on this?

[Adam Burns]

As the deputy minister indicated, there are two parts to it, and certainly the regulatory piece is necessary in order for it to be mandatory.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

Did you identify anyone who could provide the traceability?

[Adam Burns]

In parallel to the development of the regulations, we were actively engaged in sourcing a traceability system that would—

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

Did you locate anyone? Did you find anyone?

[Adam Burns]

A number of options were being—

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

Yes or no, is there someone who can provide this service?

[Adam Burns]

There are a number of providers that would be appropriate for providing this service. As I believe the parliamentary secretary mentioned earlier, there is a system that was used in Maine, so those options were being evaluated.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

I have another question for you. If you start cleaning up poachers now, could you have them all cleaned up by the middle of April so that the licensed harvesters could then start fishing mid-April?

I'm sure it will be too tempting for the poachers not to go. Is it not possible that you could clean most of them up by getting serious with it, so that you can have a regulated fishery beginning April 15?

[Annette Gibbons]

I'm not sure that there's capacity to really have everyone taken out of.... Even if people were charged, they may still—

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

How many four-by-four pickups did you take last year on the spot?

[Annette Gibbons]

We can come back to you with....

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

How many ATVs did you take on the spot?

[Annette Gibbons]

For a lot of these really detailed questions on enforcement, I think we would have to go back and consider how much is in the public domain—

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

Are your officers trained and armed, like police officers?

[Annette Gibbons]

They're trained and armed, yes.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

They're trained and armed. Do you think they're afraid to do their job?

[The Chair, Liberal, Ken McDonald]

Thank you, Mr. Small. Your time has expired.

Mr. Morrissey, you have five minutes or less, please.

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

Thank you, Chair.

Ms. Gibbons, how many jurisdictions enforce a regulated elver fishery? Is it just Canada? I take it not.

[Annette Gibbons]

No, there is elver fishing in several European countries that is regulated, and in the state of Maine as well. There are different jurisdictions. There is a—