Fisheries Committee on Oct. 9th, 2025

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

But why would they need to have their funding come from outside Canada?

[The Chair, Liberal, Patrick Weiler]

I'm afraid we're over time here, Mr. Small.

If there are any answers to that question, they should be submitted in writing along with the others that were brought up today.

With that, we'll move to Mr. Morrissey for three and a half minutes.

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

Thank you, Chair.

Ms. Gibbons, there's a growing concern on the east coast about foreign takeover of fish processing and buying companies, and indirectly as it relates to fishers. Does the department have any intelligence on the number of companies that would now be foreign owned, directly or indirectly?

[Annette Gibbons]

The department certainly tries to remain current with trends in the processing sector. The regulatory responsibility for the processors is with the provinces, so of course they lead on policy and law.

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

But is this an issue that's raised at federal-provincial meetings? It is a growing concern. I'll not pinpoint any particular country, but it's widely known at the wharves of a growing presence at the ownership level. If you have enough control, then you can significantly impact the price being paid. This is the concern, that there's too much control. Is that raised at the federal-provincial meetings?

You are correct that the licensing of buying and processing is a provincial jurisdiction. Who's monitoring this? It is a growing concern. It concerns me, because if you have too much control, then the people who are going to pay the price are the primary producer—the fisher—because there will be no competition.

[Annette Gibbons]

The primary role of DFO is around the harvesting and management of fish stocks. Certainly, as I noted, we're aware of the trends. We do have discussions in the context of foreign ownership in the discussions on modernizing west coast fisheries management frameworks. We certainly have had discussions with various provinces about this at different times, and we'll continue to do so.

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

You are correct, but the federal government has the overall responsibility for the fishery. Are the provinces, in the discussions you're having with provincial ministries, raising this as an issue?

[Annette Gibbons]

This certainly has come up at different times in discussions. I understand that the Newfoundland government has been doing some work on that issue of foreign ownership. Really, I have to defer to them. It's their jurisdiction.

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

Yes.

That's fine, Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Patrick Weiler]

Thank you very much, Mr. Morrissey.

I now give the floor to Mr. Deschênes for two minutes.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Ms. Gibbons, pelagic herring and mackerel fishers in the Gaspésie have been subject to a moratorium since 2022. This summer, I spoke with a fisher who was tasked with conducting scientific surveys. What is the current state of our scientific knowledge on the status of herring and mackerel resources in the Gaspésie?

[Annette Gibbons]

I’ll let Mr. Burns tell you about the mackerel situation, because I don’t want to get it wrong. I think I was mistaken earlier about striped bass when I said that its situation was critical. Its situation is rather worrying.

From a scientific point of view, the state of the stocks is still a cause for concern. Fishers have seen greater abundance in certain areas, so we conducted additional surveys in those areas to see if there were more eggs and larvae. The results of these studies did not change the scientific opinion or the scientific advice. However, we will continue our discussions with fishers about their observations and we will update the scientific data on mackerel and herring.

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

At the moment, there are not enough resources.

My last question concerns Atlantic salmon. We are seeing a drastic decline in runs, particularly in the salmon rivers of the Gaspésie. The Quebec Federation for Atlantic Salmon is asking to conduct scientific tests in the Strait of Belle Isle, between Labrador and the island of Newfoundland, because that is where the problem seems to lie, according to various estimates. I know that the federation has already approached you, but it has said that there has been no co-operation. In the Strait of Belle Isle, would it be possible to ask capelin fishers if tests could be carried out on bycatch of salmon fry?

[Annette Gibbons]

We are always open to considering such requests and seeing whether or not they can be included in survey updates. At this point, I don’t know. Money is always a factor when it comes to the number of surveys we can conduct, but we are open to looking at what is feasible and possible.

[The Chair, Liberal, Patrick Weiler]

Thank you very much, Mr. Deschênes.

That takes us to the end of our second panel. I want to thank our witnesses for being here today and for answering questions. There were a number of questions that were asked and there was no time for an answer. Please, in due course, submit those answers in writing for the committee's consideration.

Our next meeting is going to be on October 21, where we'll have the last witnesses for our study on the redfish quotas and exploratory lobster licences. And then, on October 23, we're going to begin our study on the review of the Fisheries Act, which, of course, was started in the last government.

With that, is it the will of the committee to adjourn?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Patrick Weiler]

The meeting is adjourned.