Fisheries Committee on Dec. 4th, 2025

[Joanne Thompson, Liberal, St. John's East, NL]

I'm not able to answer that at this time, but I certainly can—

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

Why not?

[Joanne Thompson, Liberal, St. John's East, NL]

I was not at that meeting. I can ask—

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

If you're pushing for markets for seal products, would you not have pushed to have seal products on the agenda with the Europeans in June?

[Joanne Thompson, Liberal, St. John's East, NL]

I think we need to be very mindful that at the moment, Mr. Small, as you know, we are very concerned with some of our export markets. There are significant challenges for the seafood industry with tariffs in both China and the U.S. We need to move forward with caution. I certainly am not.... While I want to support the industry and will continue to support the industry—

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

We have information from some of our European friends that your boss, Prime Minister Carney, actually removed seal products from the agenda. It was there, and he himself removed that topic of conversation.

Why would he have done that?

[Joanne Thompson, Liberal, St. John's East, NL]

Mr. Small, I can't speak for the Prime Minister. He's well able to speak for himself. I will tell you that I am open to solutions, but solutions that won't further stress our export challenges.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

Why didn't you dig in your heels and stop the Prime Minister? Why didn't you stand up for your industry and not let him remove the trade of seal products from that agenda?

[Joanne Thompson, Liberal, St. John's East, NL]

While this makes interesting video for you later, the fact is that I am here to support the industry. I am working to support the industry. We are in a trade challenge. We all need to be very careful. There are complexities at tables, and to simplify something that's very complex is problematic.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

The number one priority of the Fisheries Act is conservation. With the massive numbers of fish and shellfish that are consumed by those seals, possibly up to 50 times what harvesters take, the Fisheries Act is failing in its ecosystem approach.

[Joanne Thompson, Liberal, St. John's East, NL]

I want to also stress that I am very aware of the capelin numbers. That's also a stress on the stock. We have to look at the entire ecosystems. It certainly guides us, going forward, and I want to reassure people that this is a priority.

[The Chair, Liberal, Patrick Weiler]

Thank you very much, Mr. Small.

Next, we're moving to Mr. Connors for six minutes.

[Paul Connors, Liberal, Avalon, NL]

Thank you, Minister and other officials, for coming out today. It's nice to be able to have a chat with you.

Minister, I want to start off by talking about the northern cod quota, which you spoke about. A lot of residents and constituents in my area are asking about the recreational food fishery and how the increased cod quotas are going to impact their ability to go out and catch some cod.

Recently this department put out a survey to consult with residents and constituents in order to find out which is the best way to go forward. Is there any particular reason you went with an online survey as opposed to an in-person survey?

[Joanne Thompson, Liberal, St. John's East, NL]

I went with the online survey because I am sincerely interested in feedback from the people who I know enjoy the food fishery and know how culturally important it is for us as a province. The survey is intended to dig a bit deeper and get as much information as we possibly can from, again, the Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who hold the food fishery as an important part of our lives.

I will say to you—and I'm very pleased to say this—that it's only been open two weeks and there are over 7,000 people who have participated, so I know we will get rich information from the survey that will certainly guide decisions going forward. That's the intent.

For people who find the survey challenging, maybe there's somebody else who could fill in the information, or I would encourage them to please write to me or email me, and as we move forward, I will find an opportunity that's more general to be in direct contact.

The challenge with individual meetings is that you know we are here in Ottawa. We've been here in Ottawa for a number of weeks. It's just really difficult for me to physically be in all of the places in the province, Labrador included. If I want to reach the maximum number of Newfoundland and Labrador residents, the survey is the most comprehensive way to do that.

Anyone who's filled out the survey knows that it is quite in depth, because that's the information that's going to help me in decision-making.

[Paul Connors, Liberal, Avalon, NL]

The data collected from that survey will be used to make a decision on the upcoming....

[Joanne Thompson, Liberal, St. John's East, NL]

Absolutely. This is a sincere attempt to understand people's concerns and what they would like to see happen, and it will be the backbone of what we do going forward.

I'll be happy to share the survey once it's closed and we've put it together. This is intended to be a process very much based on what we all hold dear: the food fishery.

[Paul Connors, Liberal, Avalon, NL]

My next question is around the movement of the Coast Guard to National Defence and how that impacted your budget this year. Will it have any impacts on research, science and the data we collect through the Coast Guard?

[Joanne Thompson, Liberal, St. John's East, NL]

I'll turn to my colleague, the acting deputy, in a moment, but I want to reassure people that the day-to-day work of the Coast Guard continues. I remain in touch with them. It's a central part of supports for the industry.

The move to DND was very specifically made to leverage the fact that the Coast Guard is in all of our waterways. As we focus on defence, of course we want to support the ability for surveillance and secure communication, but the work of the Coast Guard remains unchanged.

Deputy, do you have anything you want to add?

[Kaili Levesque, Interim Deputy Minister, Department of Fisheries and Oceans]

We have 30 years of collaboration with the Canadian Coast Guard, far beyond its initial transfer to DFO, and those arrangements in relationships and the close work on icebreaking, whether in small craft harbours or looking at scientific activities, will absolutely continue. We continue to work with them day in and day out in a variety of activities, interdepartmental meetings and the deep integration, both in Ottawa and in the regions where the presence is most strongly integrated.

[Paul Connors, Liberal, Avalon, NL]

Budget 2025 states that to meet the target of 15% in savings over three years, “[Fisheries and Oceans] will leverage artificial intelligence and other digital tools to modernize Canada’s fisheries management system.” This year we introduced e-logs, electronic logbooks. We did have some fishermen who were concerned about the new technology. What type of artificial intelligence and digital tools are we looking to introduce, and how will they impact the fishery?

[Joanne Thompson, Liberal, St. John's East, NL]

I'll start, and then I'll turn to the acting deputy.

Part of the process is modernizing some of the more laborious processes. We are in a digital age, so of course we want to maintain the advantages of that in terms of being able to ensure that we're moving in a much more focused and timely manner.

On the e-logs, which I believe are incredibly important for us, especially as we move to expanded markets, I want to thank the harvesters who participated. I want to thank the harvesters in Newfoundland and Labrador, the FFAW and the unions across Atlantic Canada in particular. Change is difficult, but people really stepped up. The information we're getting from the logs is incredibly helpful. As we move forward, it informs decision-making. I really thank people for participating.

I don't know if the associate deputy has anything to add.

[The Chair, Liberal, Patrick Weiler]

I'm afraid I have to step in here.

I'm very interested in this answer as well, so please submit that in writing to the committee, if you can. That way, we can have it on record.

Mr. Deschênes, you have the floor for six minutes.

[Alexis Deschênes, Bloc, Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Greetings to all my colleagues.

Good afternoon, Minister. It's good to see you today. Can you hear me all right?

[Joanne Thompson, Liberal, St. John's East, NL]

Yes.

[Alexis Deschênes, Bloc, Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj, QC]

Okay.

You said in your opening remarks that your top priority was to ensure that the fisheries continue. I share that priority.

Over the past few weeks, the committee has heard abundant testimony converging toward the same reality. That testimony has come from British Columbia, the Maritimes and even the Côte‑Nord, as we heard the day before yesterday. It seems that illegal fishing is an issue and that some fisheries officers don't have all the necessary means to respond. This could refer to physical resources. However, a witness told us on Tuesday that fisheries officers had been instructed not to respond in cases of illegal fishing involving indigenous persons.

When we speak with fishery stakeholders who are members of first nations, they say that they don't permit illegal fishing. The band council members with whom I've had a chance to speak do not condone violations. Like you and me, they want to preserve the resource.

It now it seems possible that first nations violators and potential members of organized crime are sometimes forming alliances. It appalls me to hear reports from fisheries officers that they've been instructed to back off.

Ms. Thompson, will you commit today to issue a directive to fisheries officers and their supervisors saying that they have to respond and fight illegal fishing, even if first nations fishers are involved?