Madam Chair, members of the committee, thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak as part of your study.
The Fisheries Council of Canada, or FCC, represents the Canadian fishing and seafood industry and promotes a healthy resource and a prosperous industry, which plays a vital role in the Canadian economy.
In most cases, Canada has a track record in how it determines marine harvest seasons. My comments are meant in the spirit of continuous improvement. Processes for opening and closing dates must be predictable and timely, and they must be based on robust core fisheries science. To achieve this, the Government of Canada must invest in core fisheries science, partner with industry to make full use of industry science, and provide ample notice of opening and closing dates.
As with any sector, Canada's fisheries must have predictable and timely processes in place. Our sector faces enough uncertainty in wild fisheries with respect to fluctuating stocks, weather, input costs and so on. Some of these variables are outside of our control, but government decisions about when and who can go fishing must be made predictably and in good time. While this is very often the case, when decisions are made outside of these frameworks and when decisions are made with short notice, significant challenges arise for harvesters and processors.
Robust core fishery science must underpin all of government's decisions in this space. Canadian fisheries would benefit from additional investments in core fishery science, which government can draw upon for its decision-making. In order to minimize unnecessary and unintended negative impacts on our sector and the communities they serve, seafood harvesters and processors must be part of any and all discussions where external considerations are being considered.
Industry is a reliable partner that has the capacity and capability in many fisheries to aid in the collection and analysis of fishery science. With many fisheries, industry is already investing in surveys being used to inform Government of Canada decision-making. There is additional opportunity here. The FCC has had positive initial discussions with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and we look forward to making further progress in this space.
In short, the FCC and its members believe that the processes for determining fishery opening and closing dates must be predictable and timely, and based on robust core fisheries science. To achieve this, the Government of Canada must invest in core fisheries science, partner with industry to make full use of industry science, and provide ample notice of opening and closing dates. In most cases, Canada has a strong record, and it has the opportunity to improve it.
Thank you once again. I would be pleased to answer your questions.