Fisheries Committee on March 23rd, 2026

[The Chair, Liberal, Patrick Weiler]

I have a final quick question. What changes do you foresee for in-river monitoring as a result of the changes in the estimates?

[Joanne Garrah]

We don't anticipate significant changes to in-river monitoring through the changes we have proposed as part of government expenditure reduction exercises. As the minister articulated when she was here, I think the key message is that the core functions within science will be preserved.

That said, we continue to look for opportunities to better align them with priorities and look for opportunities to implement new technology. Sometimes that may mean a reprioritizing of activity or a shifting of resources towards them.

[The Chair, Liberal, Patrick Weiler]

Mrs. Gill, you have the floor for two and a half minutes.

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Côte-Nord—Kawawachikamach—Nitassinan, QC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I have one more question. I don’t think you’ll have enough time to answer it, so you can submit the rest of your answer on the Maurice Lamontagne Institute to the committee in writing.

We know the Department of Fisheries and Oceans' regional offices are already understaffed. As a result, they're not as functional as they could be. Staff are also unable to move up the ranks. Many people are on sick leave. It's difficult to attract staff to some regions. Obviously, I'm thinking specifically of the Côte‑Nord, in my riding, but every region where there's fishing is going through the same thing.

That's why I have some questions. What impact will the cuts at the Maurice Lamontagne Institute have? Is there any way to find out the department's objectives in that regard? What will be cut exactly? Where and when will the cuts be made? Has the department studied or evaluated the potential consequences of these cuts? I see the department's using attrition, for example. That process is less obvious, less visible. It doesn't change the fact that the workload is getting heavier for all employees.

In short, could you tell us where and when these cuts will be made, and what the anticipated consequences are? I'd also like to know the reasons that motivated the department to make these cuts. I mentioned the cuts at the Maurice Lamontagne Institute and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, among others, but there's also the Coast Guard. Sorry, I mean the fishery guardians, but it could also be the Coast Guard, since it falls under your department’s jurisdiction.

[Niall O'Dea]

I'll give Ms. Garrah a minute to answer your questions on science in particular.

I just want to point out that 80% of the department’s personnel budget is allocated to the regions, and regional investments are very important to the department. During our review of spending efficiency, we focused on maintaining core capabilities across the country, knowing most of our activities take place in the regions.

Ms. Garrah, would you like to add anything?

[Joanne Garrah]

Thank you for the question.

I don't have a lot of information to add. Within the department, we're happy to follow up and provide more information on cuts that we made within the department and how they specifically apply to science. I think the important message for MLI, as it is with all our facilities, is that we are not expecting a significant impact to the core activities of science that we do in those facilities.

[The Chair, Liberal, Patrick Weiler]

Thank you very much, Mrs. Gill.

Next, we're going to Mr. Small for five minutes.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

My question is for Mr. O'Dea.

The Atlantic salmon live gene banking programs in Mactaquac, New Brunswick, and Coldbrook, Nova Scotia, are being discontinued because of cuts in this year's budget. Most Atlantic salmon runs are in the critical zone, and many consider Atlantic salmon as a whole to be endangered.

Why would you take something as precious as our Atlantic salmon and use that species as part of the cuts in this year's budget?

[Niall O'Dea]

Thank you for the question. I will allow colleagues to add to this, but I will start by saying that we definitely recognize the importance and priority of Atlantic salmon.

That's why, just over a year ago, we released a wild Atlantic salmon conservation strategy to align the department's efforts with partners to ensure the conservation of Atlantic salmon. That has been a framework for decision-making for the department—

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

I understand your good intentions. However, I don't know how shutting down these facilities fits into a rebuilding program.

[Niall O'Dea]

I can certainly invite my colleague to speak to how we're realigning our activities in this regard.

[Joanne Garrah]

Thank you for the question.

I'll say a couple of things. I certainly understand public perception in relation to these facilities. Nobody likes to see cuts, and I understand that it's a sensitive issue, particularly for salmon.

As my colleague articulated, Atlantic salmon continue to be a priority for the department, and you're right, we have seen reductions in wild Atlantic salmon populations for many years.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

I have a question for you. The sport fishing industry and most of the salmon in British Columbia are worth $1.1 billion to the economy of B.C.—actually, I think it's up to $1.25 billion now—but there doesn't seem to be much will to grow the contribution of the Atlantic salmon to the GDP of Atlantic Canada. What's the difference?

[Joanne Garrah]

I would say that decisions regarding the facility shouldn't be perceived as a reflection on our value of Atlantic salmon and our willingness to continue to conduct science activities and other activities in support of rebuilding the population, but we did have to look, when we made cuts within the programs, at whether programs were continuing to meet their objectives. That program, from our perspective, despite many years of investment, was no longer achieving its objectives.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

Thank you, Ms. Garrah. If you'd like to add more to your comment by submitting a written document, you can.

Mr. Amyot, $1.6 million has disappeared from the small craft harbours budget with no explanation on that line in the budget as to what will be eliminated by the $1.6-million cut. The people in small craft harbours—and these folks are all volunteers who run the small craft harbours programs in the various harbours—are wondering how the $1.6-million cut is going to affect them.

[Patrick Amyot]

Thank you for the question.

What you're referring to, I believe, is the $1.6-million grant for disposal that's being reduced, but at the same time, the contribution for disposal and restoration of small craft harbours has increased by $1.8 million. On the details of the differences and all of that, I would ask my colleagues to answer.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

That's okay. Thank you.

I'm going back to the cuts in the sentinel survey for codfish in the gulf and in the Newfoundland and Labrador region. The minister spoke of a need for more “robust science”.

We don't have a commercial fishery in most of these areas; we have a very limited recreational fishery, and now we don't have the tool we used to have, which was known as the sentinel fisheries. If we hadn't had these things in the last few years in the northern cod, stakeholders would have never known that the northern cod population was exploding.

Why would you take away that tool? This goes to Mr. O'Dea as well. Why would you take away the tool when you're looking at only a handful of areas? All of the eastern and northeast coast of Newfoundland and Labrador is gone from the program, so it must be nearly cut in half from what it used to be. Why would you take away that necessary tool in zones where cod is deep into the critical zone in a lot of cases?

[The Chair, Liberal, Patrick Weiler]

I'm afraid I have to jump in here. We're well over time.

Mr. O'Dea, if you'd like to provide an answer in writing, that would be appreciated.

With that, we are going to Mr. Cormier for five minutes.

[Serge Cormier, Liberal, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I have one last question for you.

I know the Department of National Defence is now responsible for the Canadian Coast Guard. As you know, the Coast Guard plays a vital role in our region during snow crab season, which is about to begin.

Although the Coast Guard has been transferred to the Department of National Defence, are you still in close contact with them to make sure icebreaking operations are proceeding smoothly?

I can see the amphibious vehicle—we call it “the frog” around here—breaking up the ice near the docks as we speak. I take it contracts have already been signed.

Are you still in close contact with the Department of National Defence regarding the small and medium-sized icebreakers scheduled to arrive in the region to ensure everything goes smoothly?

[Niall O'Dea]

I can assure you we're working closely and continuously with the Coast Guard to provide scientific support and enforce fisheries management regulations.

We're working closely together in the gulf region to support the deployment of icebreakers for the opening of the fishing season. That's all covered by a co-operation agreement between the two departments.

[Serge Cormier, Liberal, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Were the same amounts allocated to the contracts we have with third parties, such as Ocean Group? They can use their tugboats to help out if Coast Guard vessels are unavailable. Were all these contracts maintained when the Coast Guard was transferred to the Department of National Defence?

[Niall O'Dea]

Yes. The idea is to maintain continuity in these agreements. Nothing's going to change, unless there are reasons to make a change.

[Serge Cormier, Liberal, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Perfect.

As you know, over the last few weeks, or rather the last few months, the Nova Scotia government has taken measures regarding the illegal practice of unreported lobster sale.

Last week, in its latest budget, the province of New Brunswick did the same thing. If I’m not mistaken, it’s estimated that 10% to 30% of lobster sales go unreported.

Did your department work with the governments of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to develop this strategy? Did you make recommendations on how to conduct inspections and make arrests? After all, there are fishery officers on the docks.

Why is there some overlap here? Can you explain why these initiatives are coming from the provinces, rather than the federal government?

[Niall O'Dea]

I'm going to pass it over to Mr. Lambertucci in a moment, but I just want to say that we are very glad about the investments New Brunswick and Nova Scotia are making. We have a pretty high level of co-operation with them.

Mr. Lambertucci can tell you more.

[Peter Lambertucci]

Thank you for your question.

We have been in very active participation, and I too am quite excited to see New Brunswick and Nova Scotia come on board with the extra resources for illegal and unauthorized sales.

We had a policy-level committee at the ADM level, with regional directors general and a number of our provincial counterparts, and I chair an interdepartmental working group for the operational level that includes Atlantic Canada in terms of how we will operationalize these resources' coming on board. There are discussions taking place as soon as this week on what potential joint operations can happen, but we are very much looking forward to having the extra capability and capacity to look at this.

In the interim, C and P has spent extra time at processor and buyer facilities, and we are already engaged with the provinces on that level.