Evidence of meeting #22 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 mpas.
A video is available from Parliament.
Executive Director, BC Shrimp Trawlers’ Association
The estimates are a hit of something like $120 million to the industry. It's pretty significant.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Patrick Weiler
Thank you very much, Mr. Gunn.
Next, we'll go to Mr. Morrissey for four minutes.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
Thank you, Chair.
Mr. McIsaac, you referenced a roughly 60-foot trawler for shrimp. What would that inshore fisher gross in a season, generally?
Executive Director, BC Shrimp Trawlers’ Association
It would be pretty low. Most of the trawlers are way smaller than that, and the current management plan is not supportive of the fishery.
Executive Director, BC Shrimp Trawlers’ Association
That's a good question.
I would say that there's a difference.... The department has been managing the shrimp fishery for the last 27 years as if there were 36 individual stocks. Last year, after almost a decade of trying to get them to do a science review of that, they've identified that there's one stock on the coast, which means they've been managing it incorrectly for 30 years.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
I appreciate the testimony all three of you have provided today.
Would it be fair to say that the industry recognizes there is a need to evaluate fishing efforts and there could be some value in restrictions to some areas, but that candid trust within the department to enforce it that way and respect the input of the fishery is preventing buy-in from fishers?
That is for Mr. McIsaac and Mr. Barron.
Executive Director, BC Shrimp Trawlers’ Association
When you work in good faith in a process for seven years and have it upended by....
What ended up happening was 1,450 form letters were sent in to the Canada Gazette part I process to say we want more protection. All of the collaborative process that—
Executive Director, BC Shrimp Trawlers’ Association
They came from three ENGOs.
Executive Director, BC Shrimp Trawlers’ Association
They were the same. The department identified that there were 1,450 identical letters.
President, Cape Breton Fish Harvesters Association
When St. Anns Bank was in the process of being formed, we had letter writing as well. It was one generic letter sent in by all of LFA 27.
Liberal
President, Cape Breton Fish Harvesters Association
To be honest, it was a long time ago. I have it on file. I can definitely send it to you.
President, Cape Breton Fish Harvesters Association
It raised issues, but it was also supportive and showed understanding that we need to have the conservation, but we were asking them to listen to our recommendations because we felt the no-take zone was more than sufficient.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
That goes to my question earlier. What I'm hearing from witnesses is that there is fisher support out there for conservation measures, but the negotiation style between the department and fishers is pushing fishers away.
Is that what you're telling this committee?
President, Cape Breton Fish Harvesters Association
Yes. There isn't a fisherman who's going to sit here and tell you that we don't support conservation, because without conservation there's no product and no livelihood in our coastal communities, so yes, we support conservation 100%.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
In some areas, fishing styles or methodology may have to be adjusted to protect the future of the fishery. Is that correct?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Patrick Weiler
I'm afraid that's the end of the time we have for this panel.
I want to thank our witnesses for being here today and travelling long distances to provide some testimony.
Mr. Barron, you can provide that information in writing to the committee. Likewise, for our other witnesses, if there's anything else you'd like to provide in writing, please send that to the committee.
You're welcome to stay in the room for our second panel.
We're going to briefly suspend while we welcome our new witnesses.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Patrick Weiler
Colleagues, we're back.
I would just like to make a few comments for the benefit of the witnesses—although I think they might have been here for the last panel, so they might have already heard this.
Please wait until I recognize you by name before speaking.
To access interpretation services, simply insert your earpiece and select the appropriate channel.
Just as a reminder, all comments should be addressed through the chair.
With that, I would like to welcome our second panel of witnesses.
We have Mark Carr, professor from the University of California at Santa Cruz; Fraser MacDonald from the University of British Columbia; and Keith Sullivan, the executive director of the Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association.
With that, we're going to jump right into opening statements for five minutes or less starting with Professor Carr.