Fisheries Committee on March 23rd, 2026

[The Chair, Liberal, Patrick Weiler]

Good morning, colleagues. I call this meeting to order.

Welcome to meeting number 28 of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans.

Pursuant to Standing Order 81(4) and the order of reference from the House received on February 26, the committee is meeting to commence consideration of the main estimates 2026-27.

Today’s meeting is being held in a hybrid format, pursuant to Standing Orders. Members can participate in person or using the Zoom application.

Before we continue, I would ask all in-person participants to consult the guidelines written on the table. These measures are in place to help prevent audio and feedback incidents and to protect the health and safety of all participants—in particular, the interpreters.

I'll make a few comments for the benefit of the witnesses and members. Please wait until I recognize you by name before speaking. For those participating by video conference, click on the microphone icon to activate your mic, and please mute yourself when you're not speaking. I remind you that all comments should be addressed through the chair.

Members participating in person who wish to speak must raise their hand. Members using the Zoom application must use the “raise hand” feature. The clerk and I will do our best to follow the speaking order. We thank the members for their patience.

For the purpose of opening the discussion on the main estimates 2026-27, I now call vote 1 under the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

I would like to welcome the Honourable Joanne Thompson, Minister of Fisheries. With her are Paul MacKinnon, the very recently named deputy minister—congratulations; Niall O'Dea, senior assistant deputy minister, strategic policy; and Patrick Amyot, chief financial officer.

With that, we're going to start with opening remarks from Minister Thompson. You have the floor for five minutes.

[Joanne Thompson, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

It is a pleasure to be here for my fourth appearance at the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans.

The 2026-27 main estimates for Fisheries and Oceans Canada aim to continue to grow our fisheries and drive economic growth in coastal, rural and indigenous communities. One of the key items in the main estimates that I would like to highlight is the $36.9 million in additional funding to repair and maintain small craft harbours. Since 2015, we have invested more than $1.5 billion in our small craft harbours in B-base funding. This is on top of the annual A-base funding. Our fishing harbours are the lifeblood of our coastal communities, and that is why we have made such serious investments.

Across the globe, people want Canadian seafood. It is the best in the world. It's ethical, sustainable and the highest-quality product. Canada's fish and seafood industry contributes over $8 billion to our economy and provides over 63,000 jobs. More than 100 countries around the world import Canadian fish and seafood.

This sector is a massive economic driver for our coastal communities. Just last week, I led Canada's delegation to this year's Seafood Expo North America in Boston to support Canadian harvesters, processors and exporters and ensure that Canadian seafood is on the menu. I spoke with our amazing harvesters and businesses about how we can continue to support their jobs and grow our fisheries.

To build Canada strong, our new government is squarely focused on supporting the sector to drive innovation and expand markets to grow our economy. That is why our government has committed to renewed fisheries funds for Atlantic Canada, Quebec and British Columbia. The fisheries funds unlock potential and help Canadian fish and seafood harvesters and businesses thrive in the face of shifting global dynamics.

I spoke with my Atlantic and Quebec counterparts in Boston last week to kick off these negotiations, and I will be speaking with Minister Neill of B.C. tomorrow to do the same. I hope to work with the provinces with the goal of building fisheries funds that tackle the realities of the current global landscape and drive innovation, sustainability and productivity so that Canada's fish and seafood sector is set up for sustained growth. In a rapidly shifting global environment, Canada's fish and seafood sector needs the tools to adapt and grow and seize these new opportunities. This funding will be critical to the businesses and projects that help drive Canada's fish and seafood sector forward.

One comment I have heard consistently in my meetings with ambassadors, and most recently in Boston, was how impressed global buyers are with the sustainability of Canadian seafood. When our fisheries are sustainable and ethical, it means higher prices for harvesters' catches and both immediate and long-term added value for the sector. It also means that our fisheries are there for communities now and will be there for our children and grandchildren for generations to come.

It starts with science-based fishery management. When we do regular science and make the right targeted investments, it informs good fisheries management decisions and tells global buyers that when they buy Canadian seafood, they can trust that it is sustainable and ethically harvested. Our government's recent work with industry and stakeholders to announce a modern whalesafe gear strategy supports this goal. It adds another tool to give Canadian seafood an advantage in growing our export markets and driving economic growth in our rural communities.

Protecting the resource is a critical part of this work. Our government is committed to safe and orderly fisheries. Conservation and protection officers are doing important work to protect the resource and enforce the Fisheries Act. This past season, conservation and protection officers seized thousands of traps, returned tens of thousands of lobsters to the water and inspected dozens of facilities. C and P will continue to have a strong enforcement posture to manage a safe and orderly fishery. I fully support the work of enforcement officers.

Owner-operator inshore regulations are a foundation of fisheries management on the east coast. My department is focused on strengthening the administration and enforcement of these rules to ensure that our fisheries benefit those doing the work and their communities.

On the west coast, we are looking to modernize our fisheries so that licensing works better for harvesters and the harvesters see more of the benefit from their hard work.

My job as the Minister of Fisheries is to ensure that we are protecting the resource and protecting the livelihoods that depend on it. That is how we build Canada strong.

Thank you. I welcome your questions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Patrick Weiler]

Thank you very much, Minister.

With that, we'll begin our first round of questioning.

We'll start with Mr. Small for six minutes.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'd like to welcome you, Minister and officials, to our meeting today.

Minister, in August 2025, a Clearwater Seafoods vessel, the Atlantic Protector, was caught illegally fishing for scallops in a closed area, 29D, off southwest Nova Scotia. DFO seized approximately 50,000 pounds of scallop meat, valued at over $1 million.

Recently, lobster harvesters in southwest Nova Scotia witnessed a Clearwater vessel transferring lobster at sea to inshore vessels. This is a violation of the quota used to manage the area 1 lobster fishery. This vessel carries a tracking device. Your department knows where this vessel is at all times. Will you commit today to prosecuting these poachers?

[Joanne Thompson, Liberal, St. John's East, NL]

It's an important question. As I hope I very clearly stated in the opening comments, I support an authorized fishery, period, full stop, regardless of where the work is taking place, and I—

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

Where's the violation for the 50,000 pounds of scallop meat by Clearwater? Can you tell us that?

[Joanne Thompson, Liberal, St. John's East, NL]

Obviously, there's a degree of confidentiality in this work. I invite you to ask questions to the officials in the second hour.

As Minister of Fisheries, I think it's important for me to state clearly that we work with authorized fishery. You can see the work that's happened over the past year to that end. The work happens in multiple areas.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

I just wanted to make you aware of what was going on in the lobster fishery in southwest Nova Scotia, in case you weren't aware.

[Joanne Thompson, Liberal, St. John's East, NL]

Thank you.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

Minister, a large corporation such as Clearwater can evade the law, yet inshore fishermen like the cod harvesters in Newfoundland and Labrador are fined on the spot for simply not being accurate enough with their estimate. Will you commit today to the inshore fishermen that you will change this next year and not prosecute them for being a little off on their estimate, especially when they have quota remaining and the estimate is not putting them in a position in which they're exceeding their quota? Will you commit to the inshore fishermen of Newfoundland and Labrador today to fix this for next year?

[Joanne Thompson, Liberal, St. John's East, NL]

I am pleased to once again clearly state that the rules are the same across the industry. Enforcement is what we accept—full stop.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

Do you consider an estimate that's not up to your department's accuracy standards a violation of law?

[Joanne Thompson, Liberal, St. John's East, NL]

I won't speak to a specific case, and certainly there is a second hour with officials, but I will again say that I believe in authorized fishery. We are working diligently to ensure that across the sector.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

Minister, snow crab harvesters throughout Atlantic Canada are at the mercy of a precautionary approach to fisheries management that was supposed to remove peaks and valleys from their quotas from year to year. This has failed, obviously. Will you commit to removing this precautionary approach from fisheries management in a species such as snow crab in favour of a more stable management approach?

[Joanne Thompson, Liberal, St. John's East, NL]

I meet regularly with harvesters and the industry. I would go back to something I said earlier in these meetings. This is a science-based sector, but the work happens alongside harvesters and alongside industry to ensure that the information from science matches the information from harvesters. When it doesn't, there are processes to find alignment. At the same time, I also know the economic importance of the sector to communities. We will continue to work in balance.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

I'll go back to what the Prime Minister said last April, that he would listen to what he heard at the wharf. Now, these harvesters are the folks who go out and collect the data in the snow crab trap survey, but the data is being withheld from the very people who go on the water to collect it. A start would be to provide the snow crab harvesters with the results of the trap survey in a complete form that they can understand, as well as to show them how much of the assessment relies on what came out of the trap survey from the catch results and from the trawl survey. This could completely break it down and make it transparent for them.

Will you do that, Minister?

[Joanne Thompson, Liberal, St. John's East, NL]

I want to reassure you, Mr. Small, that there's been a series of steps we've taken over the past year to ensure that the meetings with industry, with harvesters, with the department and with my staff are very transparent and open and intended to remove any barriers in terms of what we share.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

Okay.

[Joanne Thompson, Liberal, St. John's East, NL]

That work continues and, as you know, this is always a work in progress in terms of how we ensure we get true dialogue.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

I have a question that I want a written response to, Mr. Chair.

Minister, the Ottawa Citizen reported that 30 soldiers from 3 RCR got severe frostbite injuries while training recently in Alaska. The National Research Council has confirmed that sealskin and other fur would provide better protection than the clothing they have.

Could you provide to the committee a response about conversations you've had with DND and whatnot to create a domestic opportunity for sealskin products that would foster a domestic market and help balance our ecosystem in terms of predator-prey relationships?

Thank you.

[Joanne Thompson, Liberal, St. John's East, NL]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Patrick Weiler]

Thank you, Mr. Small.

We're over time. If this could be an answer in writing, it would be much appreciated.

We're going to Mr. Morrissey for six minutes.

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

Thank you, Chair.

I'll begin my questions.

Minister, you opened with referencing a subject matter that consumes a lot of time in this committee: funding for small craft harbours. Could you expand a bit more on the difference between the base funding and the additional funding that comes from time to time?

[Joanne Thompson, Liberal, St. John's East, NL]

Thank you.

Yes, I'm happy to answer the question. The base funding, which is what we are working from at the moment, is $463.3 million over three years, finishing in 2027. Then there's the A funding of $90 million.

I was pleased to visit your province recently and to visit the various small craft harbours. I certainly understand the many challenges with harbours, not underestimating the impact of weather changes such as storms, seascapes, pressure with water levels or wave action.

I understand that small craft harbours are critical to the industry. The current funding continues until 2027. We continue to meet to dialogue and look at ways we can work together to ensure that our harbours, which are the lifeblood of the industry, and their infrastructure are protected and able to withstand the stresses both from the sector and from climate.

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

It's important for people to know, because we push constantly for small craft harbours funding, and it's not an east coast issue. It's a west coast issue and actually an Ontario issue. A lot is spent on lakes. In fact, there was a port in a riding a couple of hours from here, and the department would have spent more on dredging it than on all the harbours in my riding combined. This infrastructure is important across Canada, including in the north.

Could you advise the committee of how much has been dedicated to SCH in the past 10 years? If you don't have it with you, I would appreciate it if you could provide the total between the A-base and the additional funding that has come at a consistent time over the past number of years.