Fisheries Committee on June 3rd, 2026

[Bernard Vigneault]

That's correct.

Actually, the only decision appearing in the report, as context, is the previous announcement of the four established areas. That's what the report is based on: DFO information for those specific areas that had been announced in July 2025 by Nova Scotia and the Government of Canada.

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

On the resources that would have been used by the department to compile this information, there's no new information here. It's just compiling information that exists and that you would be aware of. Is that correct?

[Bernard Vigneault]

Absolutely, and as I mentioned earlier, we have secured resources from Natural Resources Canada for new data collection. This is to feed into the future discussion on the impact assessment and project review.

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

Was new data collected during the scope of this report?

[Bernard Vigneault]

No. I'm sorry for the confusion. It's totally separate from this report.

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

It was just about compiling.

[Bernard Vigneault]

This report was from what we had in our data holdings and our spatial analysis. That included the science data, but also the landings—the catch data—from our colleagues at fisheries management and some data holdings from our colleagues at aquatic ecosystems management.

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

Thank you.

I think it's very important for those following this to know that, as you stated, there was no approval process. This is not a blanket approval to do any development in the subject area.

Again, to clarify, it is simply one source of information on species that exist in these areas. Is that correct?

[Bernard Vigneault]

Yes, that's correct.

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

Also, you did not provide any recommendations to any government about suitability for any development or anything else.

[Bernard Vigneault]

No, there's no recommendation. The reports specify that we would need additional information analysis to make recommendations, and it would be a different process, a different format. It wouldn't be what we call a “technical report” like this one.

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

It's important, because if somebody, like the Government of Nova Scotia, the provincial government, chooses to pursue an agenda of developing offshore wind, they would have to go through a very rigorous process to get approval to do that. Is that correct?

[Bernard Vigneault]

If you want more information, my colleagues and friends can provide that, but that's correct. That's a process that will be led by the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Energy Regulator.

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

I don't want to get into that, but there is a process to go through that's very transparent and very vigorous. The interests of fishers will be taken into consideration if we get to that. At this stage, there's been no approval, but there's a concept that's been referred to by the Government of Nova Scotia. Again, the department's role in producing this report, which is over six months old, was simply to compile information that would have been available.

[Bernard Vigneault]

That's my understanding as well. As we state ourselves, further engagement of the fishing industry is important, because the data we provide is just one way to look at the issue, and there are other considerations.

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

Thank you.

If a party were philosophically opposed to this type of development—green energy or wind energy—you would try to phrase it as a prior approval, which is not the case, as your testimony indicated. Clearly, this was a simple fact of compiling information that was within the department at the current time and makes no recommendation for or against any potential wind development. Is that correct?

[Bernard Vigneault]

I can't comment on that, but I can confirm that the report was factual, and it didn't have any recommendations.

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you.

I will now go to Mr. Deschênes for two and a half minutes.

[Alexis Deschênes, Bloc, Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj, QC]

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

Ms. Williams, do you think it would be useful and relevant to investigate whether the presence of offshore wind turbines could have an impact on marine ecosystems?

[Wendy Williams]

Yes, I do think it's important to do that, and there will be opportunities for us to provide that information in the impact assessment process.

[Alexis Deschênes, Bloc, Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj, QC]

As I understand it, in July 2025, when the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources announced that he was designating the first offshore wind energy production areas, you had not been asked for your input beforehand to determine whether this was a good thing for the future of offshore fishing in Nova Scotia.

Is that correct?

[Wendy Williams]

No, and we would not be giving our opinion. Our job at DFO is to provide information and data into the process.

[Alexis Deschênes, Bloc, Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj, QC]

You just said that, in your opinion and that of scientists, it is useful and relevant to know whether there will be an impact on marine ecosystems.

[Wendy Williams]

My apologies. I meant that in the context of a risk assessment that would be done as part of the impact assessment process.