Fisheries Committee on March 23rd, 2026

[The Chair, Liberal, Patrick Weiler]

Thank you very much, Mr. Arnold.

Next we're going to Mr. Morrissey for five minutes.

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

Thank you, Chair.

Whoever wants to answer the question can.

How much has the department grown over the years comparatively when you isolate the Canadian Coast Guard, which has been removed from the department? The overall budget would be down substantially because the Coast Guard has been transferred to DND. When you isolate it out, how has the department's budget grown over the years?

[Niall O'Dea]

Perhaps I'll turn to my colleague, the chief financial officer, to address the question. It's rapid math to do, given the substantial portion of the department that the Coast Guard represented.

Patrick, do you want to speak to it at a high level?

[Patrick Amyot, Chief Financial Officer, Department of Fisheries and Oceans]

Thank you for the question.

I am relatively new here as the CFO, and that's historical information. I know that the amounts have grown. DFO has grown, excluding the Canadian Coast Guard, but I'd have to provide you with some information....

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

That's fine. Could you provide this to the committee? I would like to know how the budget of the department, excluding the Canadian Coast Guard, has changed over the past 10 or 11 years. Thank you for that.

Next I have a number of questions for Chief Lambertucci.

Chief, you've been on the job now for not quite a year. Is that correct?

[Peter Lambertucci, National Chief Enforcement Officer, Department of Fisheries and Oceans]

I just celebrated one year on February 17.

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

Congratulations.

[Peter Lambertucci]

Thank you.

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

Now that you've been there for a year, what would you say is the greatest challenge confronting the protection branch of DFO?

[Peter Lambertucci]

There are a number of challenges. The fact that everybody wants us everywhere—this is about people's livelihoods—is a definite challenge. We use very intelligence-supported and data-driven priorities to allow us to be in the right place at the right time, and we're capable of working within those guardrails.

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

Could you advise the committee on how you would see...? From intelligence and data, the world is changing quickly. We see this in areas of conflict, and some of the technology could be adapted to areas that require oversight and protection. Do you see this as an area that will allow the department to provide more timely surveillance as it relates to protection without incurring what would have been an exorbitant cost?

[Peter Lambertucci]

We are in the process in C and P of going through both a digital and a business transformation to economize and maximize what is available to us. Specifically to your point about digitization, this is going to be one of the greatest enablers we are investing in. We have a very fixed three-year strategy to invest in digital tools that will both enhance officer safety and uncover a number of economies moving from labour-intensive paper to the digital tools required to allow us to put extra boots on the ground and boats on the water. This would include things like drones, body-worn cameras and VMS on the boats, which will enhance our networks.

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

You make a valid point that everybody wants to see a uniform when they're doing things right. The opposite occurs outside of that, but it's extremely important that the men and women who serve in uniform protecting the resources of this country feel safe. They can do the job only when they feel safe.

Could you expand on this a bit more, how the department is ensuring not only the people power but the safety and protection of those officers in the field of action?

[Peter Lambertucci]

Thank you for the question.

Officer safety is the number one priority, regardless of the situation we are faced with. We implement a number of tools for that. It starts at the very foundational level at the Atlantic Police Academy in terms of the type of training they are provided over a 19-week period. There are very specific tools that we've implemented for officer safety. This includes hard body armour and body-worn cameras. Drones can be used as an officer safety tool to do triage and reconnaissance of areas. We've also invested in a learning management module so that we provide very good and clear guidelines and policies for our officers on a continuous learning perspective. They go into the learning management module for in-service training on standard operating procedures, guard lines, guardrails. All of those things are implemented in one digital package.

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

Thank you, Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Patrick Weiler]

Thank you very much, Mr. Morrissey.

That's going to complete our third round.

We're going to start the fourth round with Mr. Gunn for five minutes.

[Aaron Gunn, Conservative, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Thank you, Chair.

The first time I chatted with the minister is getting close to nine months ago, I think. I asked her about the vague transition that the government was promising to impose on the B.C. salmon aquaculture industry, the details of which were unknown and unclear. She said at the time that certainty and a decision were coming soon. It's now nearly April. There is still no decision and no certainty. Workers are being laid off; investment decisions are being put off, and individuals who rely on the industry to feed their family and to pay their mortgage are worried sick about what the future may hold.

When will we get some answers on what this so-called transition will be, and what assurances can you give to those currently working in the industry?

[Jennifer Saxe, Assistant Deputy Minister, Aquatic Ecosystems, Department of Fisheries and Oceans]

Thank you for the question.

The key points to make here are that there's been interdepartmental work and, as the minister has previously mentioned, the interdepartmental task force was set up. It undertook over 120 extensive engagement sessions with various fishermen, industries, stakeholders—

[Aaron Gunn, Conservative, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Do we have a timeline at all?

[Jennifer Saxe]

That consultation engagement has happened over the course of the past year. We've been hearing about the potential impacts on the aquaculture. We've been trying to get a deeper understanding from first nations workers—

[Aaron Gunn, Conservative, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Is there still no timeline for a decision?

[Jennifer Saxe]

The analysis continues to be under way.

[Aaron Gunn, Conservative, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Can you guarantee that farms will be allowed to operate beyond 2029?

[Jennifer Saxe]

At this point in time, the analysis from those engagement sessions continues.

[Aaron Gunn, Conservative, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Okay. Thank you for your bluntness.

I have a second question. In British Columbia, as I'm sure you all know, salmon carry very significant cultural, environmental and economic value to first nations and to recreational and commercial fishermen. An important component of rebuilding and maintaining these salmon stocks is hatcheries all up and down the coast, of various sizes, many of which rely on volunteers as much as they do their limited private and public contributions. For example, the Powell River Salmon Society has been one of the most productive hatcheries on the coast despite having no increases in federal funding in more than 40 years.

I now hear that they are being told by DFO officials that their very limited but essential funding is at risk in light of the significant cuts coming to the department.

I recently wrote to the minister about this, who graciously replied but, noticeably, did not commit to preserving funding for hatcheries such as the one in Powell River.

Can hatcheries that have served wild salmon in the environment and their communities so well and with so much success expect cuts in the upcoming budget? If so, how deep are the cuts we are talking about?