Fisheries Committee on Feb. 25th, 2026

[Kathy Graham]

Yes.

[Paul Connors, Liberal, Avalon, NL]

Fishers believe in conservation and sustainability. We heard that loud and clear. It is their work life and it is their source of income.

You made a comment that I want to get clarification on. You said that when fishers work with “us”.... Should the fishers be working with you, or should you be working with the fishers? There is a difference.

[Kathy Graham]

Absolutely, we need to be working with the fishing industry.

[Paul Connors, Liberal, Avalon, NL]

MP Cormier mentioned this too, but we heard loud and clear from fishers that they have lost trust in DFO and its ability to make decisions on behalf of fishers, and that marine protected areas are taking priority over their livelihoods.

In a no-take zone or in a zone that allows fishing.... In a no-take zone, a fishery wouldn't be able to survive, but in a marine protected area, can a sustainable, profitable fishing sector survive?

[Brett Gilchrist]

It's a good question. It depends on what the ecosystem objective is. If there are, for example, coral and sponge, a gorgonian coral, which is long-lived and hard, takes a lot of time to recover if damaged and can be rare. There are particular fishing gear types and fisheries that can't occur in that area without damaging the critical component to the habitat for those species. However, there may be other types of fisheries that can occur in that area, and you can design management zones and polygons around those ecosystem features that allow fisheries to continue.

It's a bit of a difficult question because each area is so distinct. There may be fishing opportunities and technologies that allow fishing to continue, but in some cases, specific gear types can't be used in those areas because of the ecosystem objective. It's a discussion with the fish harvesters themselves and scientists.

[Paul Connors, Liberal, Avalon, NL]

What's identified first, the conservation objectives or the conserved or protected area?

[Kathy Graham]

It's the conservation objectives.

[Paul Connors, Liberal, Avalon, NL]

Once those are identified and the consultations begin with fish harvesters, would they change? Would those conservation objectives change through the consultation process?

[Kathy Graham]

The conservation objectives would likely not change. What would change is likely the boundaries that would be defined, having received input, information and knowledge from the fishing industry.

[Paul Connors, Liberal, Avalon, NL]

How would that be measured? How would what's being protected be measured in terms of how successful a marine protected area is?

[Kathy Graham]

Some of the marine protected areas have already been established for many years. We have, for example, Eastport, which I made reference to, where we identified improvements in the lobster catch as a result of the marine protected area. We also have the Musquash Estuary, an area where some of the monitoring we're doing is allowing us to demonstrate that there is improved migration among migratory species through the estuary.

We have monitoring that happens. The objective is to understand what ecological improvements are happening over time. That information informs our adaptive management practices. We determine whether or not any adjustments or changes are required based on the information we're collecting over time.

[Paul Connors, Liberal, Avalon, NL]

Would monitoring be done in all marine protected areas?

[Kathy Graham]

Yes.

[Paul Connors, Liberal, Avalon, NL]

I have a question on the socio-economic side.

A study would be done. Reading through, there would be either three or four points in the framework where you can identify when socio-economic analysis would be done.

Once a marine protected area is established and has been ongoing for a number of years, is any updated socio-economic analysis done?

[Kathy Graham]

We regularly do updates to the data to understand the performance of an MPA and assess the economic impacts of that area.

[The Chair, Liberal, Patrick Weiler]

Thank you very much, Mr. Connors.

That finishes our second round of questioning. We're going to start the third round of questioning with Mr. Small for five minutes.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

I thought he'd get his two and a half minutes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Patrick Weiler]

Did I miss that? No, he already had it.

We're starting the third round. We're at the top of the round with Mr. Small.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

My question is for Mr. Gilchrist.

Mr. Gilchrist, do you recall when the Funk Island Deep protected area was created? How long has it been?

[Brett Gilchrist]

It has been several years. I think I was here, actually, in front of some of you folks.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

Would you say that chances are there have been a couple of generations of the snow crab life cycle?

[Brett Gilchrist]

Yes.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

For the Hawke Channel, there have been a couple of generations—maybe even three—of the snow crab life-cycle.

[Brett Gilchrist]

Possibly.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

Why did fishermen buy into the creation of these protected areas at the time?