Fisheries Committee on April 29th, 2026

[The Chair, Liberal, Patrick Weiler]

I'm assuming that this is a report that was done in the previous government.

[Mel Arnold, Conservative, Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies, BC]

These are reports that were done by the FOPO committee. The Atlantic salmon study was “Wild Atlantic Salmon in Eastern Canada”. That was tabled in January 2017.

[Paul Connors, Liberal, Avalon, NL]

Do you want them to present a written report—an update on it—or a verbal one?

[Mel Arnold, Conservative, Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies, BC]

I want the department officials to—

[Paul Connors, Liberal, Avalon, NL]

Wouldn't that come out in the questioning?

[The Chair, Liberal, Patrick Weiler]

I want to remind members to wait until I recognize them before speaking.

We do have a speakers list here already. I know that Mr. Small wanted to speak on this, but now we're moving on to amendments.

I see that first we had Mr. Morrissey and then—

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

I want to speak to this amendment as well.

[The Chair, Liberal, Patrick Weiler]

Okay.

First, let's go to Mr. Small, because he was next on the list, and then we'll go to Mr. Morrissey and Mr. Cormier.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I think it's very important to have some answers on what's been done in relation to these previous two reports, because oftentimes we feel like we're wasting our time here making recommendations in these reports and nothing gets done.

There was a report that was published from this committee on Atlantic salmon, and there's been one on striped bass. There was one on mackerel. It's on and on and on, and we make these great all-party recommendations that we agree on, and it seems like the reports go out of here and nothing happens.

I certainly support my colleague's amendment to at least try to let them know that they need to be accountable to the people. We bring witnesses in here from our communities and stakeholders from various regions. It's their opportunity to have their say. They put their heart and soul into their testimony here at this committee, and they walk away and say two years later, “What a waste of time, There's no hope”.

Anyway, at least Mr. Arnold's amendment, if it gets accepted, will let these government officials and the government know that we mean some sort of business here.

I don't know how Mr. Cormier feels, but I'm sure that he has to be a little frustrated coming from an area in New Brunswick that has a very dense population of striped bass. He has to be frustrated beyond all measure, and I see that he has his hand up, so that's it for me, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Patrick Weiler]

Thank you, Mr. Small.

Next I have Mr. Morrissey and then Mr. Cormier.

Mr. Connors, I'm not sure if you want to get in on the speakers list as well.

First we'll go to Mr. Morrissey.

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

Thank you, Chair.

Chair, the same people were invited in the motion, so they will be here, and I agree that they should be questioned, but establishing the first meeting to have them in, that I cannot support. They're going to come, and Mr. Arnold will have his chance to question them on anything then. As well, the reference to the earlier reports are factual, and we would welcome them as well. Mr. Arnold and I were on the study that he referenced in 2017.

Rather than establishing that they come in the first meeting, I'd prefer to hear directly from the people involved. The department officials are coming in, and they can be questioned whenever they are scheduled, but supporting them coming in at the first meeting, no.

[The Chair, Liberal, Patrick Weiler]

Thank you so much, Mr. Morrissey.

Next we're going to Mr. Cormier.

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

Well, Mr. Chair, Mr. Morrissey just basically summarized what I was about to say.

In my motion, we invite them. My colleagues, Mr. Small and Mr. Arnold, will be able to ask officials all the questions they want about the previous reports.

I want to hear from people on the ground and those outfitters. I want to hear from people we don't hear from sometimes at this committee on this topic. When the officials come, they will be able to ask all the questions they want of them.

[The Chair, Liberal, Patrick Weiler]

Thank you, Mr. Cormier.

Next I have Mr. Connors.

[Paul Connors, Liberal, Avalon, NL]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Morrissey and Mr. Cormier summed up everything I was trying to say. If we have the officials here—and they're already invited—everybody will get an opportunity to be able to ask questions of them. I think that we should hear from the people who are involved in the industry before we talk to DFO.

[The Chair, Liberal, Patrick Weiler]

I have Mr. Arnold and then Mr. Small.

[Mel Arnold, Conservative, Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

This motion is going to become public, and I think the public deserves to know that this committee studied the issue of Atlantic salmon previously and studied the striped bass issue previously. I think that they need to know that off the top.

I would still support having those two studies in particular listed in the motion. Department officials from Fisheries and Oceans will appear to respond to questions on what actions have been taken on those two reports. The second report was tabled in the House on February 28, 2022, so there's no question as to which reports we're speaking about.

[The Chair, Liberal, Patrick Weiler]

Thank you, Mr. Arnold.

Mr. Small, please go ahead.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I know my colleague referenced the striped bass study from 2019 and the Atlantic salmon study from 2017. In 2023, we had the pinniped study, dealing with seals, sea lions and walruses. There's been a lot of work done by this committee to shed some light on the difficulties that salmon stocks are having in recovering, especially with predation.

We've just had an $82-million announcement to help the health of Atlantic salmon. At the same time, the Mactaquac Biodiversity Facility in New Brunswick was shut down. If this government is serious, and if Mr. Cormier is serious, he should be using his influence with the minister to push on her and lean on her to get her going in the right direction. It's just not good enough.

This year, in Newfoundland and Labrador, our river guardians haven't yet received any notification of whether or not they're going to have their jobs. It's never gone this late before in terms of hiring river guardians. All of this is after the minister came out and made the big rah-rah announcement, “Oh, we're investing $82 million in the survival of Atlantic salmon and to make Atlantic salmon more plentiful.”

In a two-month period here, we've had the announcement that the Mactaquac Biodiversity Facility in New Brunswick is going to be closed, and we haven't yet hired our river guardians in Newfoundland and Labrador. If you don't protect the spawners and you don't stop the predation, the poaching and the habitat degradation, how in the world are we ever going to see Atlantic salmon stocks come back to prosperity? It's impossible.

However, you know, we can do another study. I want to do a study. Maybe someone will listen this time.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Patrick Weiler]

Thank you, Mr. Small.

I have Mr. Connors and Mr. Morrissey.

[Paul Connors, Liberal, Avalon, NL]

My only point would be that all of the studies that were just spoken about are all public documents. The public can access those documents whenever they want. If they want to get information, I'm sure they can also reach out and get that information.

[The Chair, Liberal, Patrick Weiler]

Thank you, Mr. Connors.

Go ahead, Mr. Morrissey.

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

Chair, I would move that we vote on the amendment currently under debate.

[The Chair, Liberal, Patrick Weiler]

We need to finish the debate on this.

Go ahead, Mr. Arnold.

[Mel Arnold, Conservative, Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies, BC]

I stand corrected. It appears the striped bass report was actually tabled three times. Because of parliamentary prorogation etc., the final time it was tabled appears to have been in the 44th Parliament, on January 22. The government's response appears to have been on June 22, 2022.

These studies, which we've already done, need to be fully disclosed to everyone who is going to be considered in this study. Whether that's the public watching this committee.... I've seen the number of people following this committee grow exponentially over the last number of years because they know the good, congenial work this committee does. Time after time, we put partisanship aside so we can do the right thing for the harvesters and the fish stocks. We have done that repeatedly over the years. There's been good work across the aisles, on both sides. I'd hate to see that sidelined, at this point, because Canadians deserve the best that we can do.

Those two reports—the one on Atlantic salmon and the second one on striped bass—are very relevant to this proposed study. The public and anyone interested in this committee need to be fully aware that those two studies and reports took place. If they aren't aware of that, it would be shameful, and shame on us for not bringing that to light. Yes, it can come up in questioning, in one meeting with government officials, but by the time the word gets out that there were previous reports, it may be too late for people to send us questions we should be asking those officials.

This would be very relevant to why now—after four years on the one study and eight years on the Atlantic salmon study—we are still in the predicament of studying the plight of Atlantic salmon. If there are recommendations in those two reports that could have made a difference, why would we not want to have them come to light as soon as possible in this study? To hide this, I think, would be absolutely shameful.