Evidence of meeting #20 for Fisheries and Oceans in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was area.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Vice-President, BC Seafood Alliance
It needs to be updated.
Our estimates of impacts are based on the same data that was reviewed by an economist hired by the province in 2020. It's 2018 fishing profiles and draft zoning from 2019. That socio-economic impact analysis needs to be updated with the latest fishing profiles and the latest draft iteration of the network.
Conservative
Mel Arnold Conservative Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies, BC
Thank you.
I've heard from harvesters that the federal conservation areas are indeed actually closing access for harvesters. Can you describe the current and future impacts on communities and on food security as harvesters continuously lose access to the fisheries?
Vice-President, BC Seafood Alliance
We're really at a tipping point in B.C.
What's on deck, proposed with the draft zoning for the Northern Shelf bioregion, will reduce access for key fisheries by 20% to 50%. For example, the central coast region from Port Hardy to, say, Bella Bella is on deck to cut off access to 32% for geoduck and 46% for prawn. Haida Gwaii offshore Oceans Act zoning is on deck to cut off upwards of 27% for the MSC-certified groundfish trawl fishery. Those are just a few examples.
If those go through as is, it will be devastating to coastal communities. The old data that we have indicated that it would impact annual revenue by about $125 million and hundreds of jobs.
Conservative
Mel Arnold Conservative Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies, BC
I don't know if the public or even the government understands that it's not just the fishers themselves, the harvesters, but also the entire communities, the infrastructure base. Can you talk a bit about that in the little time we have left?
Commercial Fisheries Representative, Underwater Harvesters Association, BC Seafood Alliance
Yes, I can tackle that.
It's all the way down the supply chain, like you said. It's ice houses. It's processors. It's suppliers. It's small businesses. We don't have the capacity for that 20% to 50% cut. It would decimate the entire industry and have a complete snowball effect on fisheries in B.C.
Liberal
Liberal
Ernie Klassen Liberal South Surrey—White Rock, BC
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Thanks to all the witnesses for attending here today.
Obviously, we're all concerned about the fishing industry and making sure that it survives for the population of B.C. and especially the coastal communities.
Ms. Lindsay, can you talk a bit about where MPAs and dive fisheries have successfully coexisted, if at all?
Commercial Fisheries Representative, Underwater Harvesters Association, BC Seafood Alliance
Do you mean in Canada?
Commercial Fisheries Representative, Underwater Harvesters Association, BC Seafood Alliance
I can't think of an example, no.
Liberal
Ernie Klassen Liberal South Surrey—White Rock, BC
Is there any place in the world where you think they might have coexisted?
Commercial Fisheries Representative, Underwater Harvesters Association, BC Seafood Alliance
They might in places that don't have effective fisheries management, but I can't think of any, no.
Liberal
Ernie Klassen Liberal South Surrey—White Rock, BC
You mentioned that there should be better fisheries management. Can you expand on that a bit?
Commercial Fisheries Representative, Underwater Harvesters Association, BC Seafood Alliance
I don't believe I said that in my introduction. I said that we have very effective fisheries management. Our industry pours, like I said, $9.5 million per year, industry-funded, into our science and management. We do all of that industry-funded. Our fishing families are the ones who are contributing to our rigorous management.
We have 100% dockside monitoring, quotas, total allowable catches and OGM. We have the most rigorous world-class sustainable fisheries.
Liberal
Ernie Klassen Liberal South Surrey—White Rock, BC
Okay.
Do you think that there is overfishing in B.C.?
Commercial Fisheries Representative, Underwater Harvesters Association, BC Seafood Alliance
No.
Liberal
Ernie Klassen Liberal South Surrey—White Rock, BC
Mr. Dovey, you were talking about the 35%. Could you explain just a bit more about what you think, in B.C., we should be looking at for the marine protected areas? I think you were mentioning that B.C. has an overabundance of protected areas.
Vice-President, BC Seafood Alliance
B.C. is paying a disproportionate share. According to ECCC, we've already conserved 35% of our marine waters, so we don't understand why they're pushing forward with large-scale closures like the NSB—like I said, it takes up two-thirds of the coast—that will contribute less than 0.3% to national targets.
Liberal
Ernie Klassen Liberal South Surrey—White Rock, BC
Mr. Hilborn, in what circumstances do marine protected areas add value compared to strong fisheries management tools?
Prof. Ray Hilborn
If you're talking about value to the fishery, I can't think of any. Effective fisheries management is the way to manage your fishery sources. There are some cases where marine protected areas generate tourism, but the examples are quite small MPAs. They're not large-scale.
Liberal
Ernie Klassen Liberal South Surrey—White Rock, BC
Okay.
How would you think governments decide when marine protected areas are the most appropriate policy instrument?
Prof. Ray Hilborn
They should decide based on what their objectives are, but I don't know how it works in Canada. In the U.S. it's been totally arbitrary. Most of the large closed areas in the U.S. have been established by executive fiat, by the presidents.
Liberal
Prof. Ray Hilborn
It's current and past, from all parties—
I'm sorry; it's not the current president, but it's both Republicans and Democrats.
