Madam Speaker, I am pleased to have this opportunity to rise before the House to address Bill C-48. The proposed piece of legislation is designed to protect and conserve representative areas of Canada's marine landscape for the benefit, education and enjoyment of all Canadians and the world.
This being the International Year of the Oceans, it only seems fitting that we are debating a bill which has as its focus the protection and preservation of an important part of our marine ecosystems for generations to come.
Such legislation is far overdue. For years we have been guilty of taking our oceans, rivers and lakes for granted. We have polluted and pillaged our marine environments to the point where some species, particularly Newfoundland cod, are nearing extinction. We cannot afford to remain complacent if we want to preserve this environment for future generations.
I was born in the region of Acadia known as Mayflower, in the municipality of Clare. Much of my childhood was spent on the shores of St. Mary's Bay in the little village of Mavilette. I so loved the briny smell of the sea that I eventually bought a house right down by the ocean.
I have a great deal of admiration and respect for our ocean, so I must speak of my great sadness to see how our natural resources are being abused.
My constituency of West Nova borders alongside three different bodies of water: the Bay of Fundy, the beautiful St. Mary's Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Surrounded by so much water, it is only natural that many of my constituents derive their living from the water in some fashion or another. The three large bodies of water that surround West Nova have been the lifeblood for many of my constituents.
The Bay of Fundy is home to many different species of marine life. For years Fundy fishing grounds supported a very prosperous inshore scallop fishery. Groundfish used to be found in abundance, helping to create a very lucrative fishing industry. Today many of the species fishers depend upon for their livelihood are disappearing due to overfishing. The lucrative lobster fishery still remains, but this is also being threatened.
It is important that we begin to seriously address the problems facing our fishing industry. History has shown that we cannot afford to ignore today's realities. Conservation must be the pivotal goal of this government if we are going to leave anything behind for future generations.
The Progressive Conservative caucus is supporting Bill C-48 because we feel it is time that we politicians start taking a leading role in helping to preserve our environment so that future generations will enjoy the serene beauty that presently exists throughout most of this country. We can only achieve these goals by taking immediate action through protective measures such as those outlined in this bill.
Deriving one's living from our oceans is a cultural way of life for us. We depend on the preservation of this large habitat not only for our survival, but also for the survival of coming generations.
Recently our coastal regions have been facing another menacing attack. This time it comes from illegal lobster fishers who have been pillaging the ocean floors almost unabated by Department of Fisheries and Oceans officials. The lucrative lobster fishery could be endangered if strong measures are not immediately taken to put an end to this illegal activity.
Clause 18 of this bill explains the application of the act. As I understand it, the minister may designate marine conservation wardens to enforce the act and regulations and to preserve and maintain the public peace in marine conservation areas.
I believe it is absolutely necessary to hire these people, but I wonder where the minister will find the necessary money for this project. With all the cuts to our museum and national parks programs, where will she find the funds?
I am rather excited by the prospect of having another body of enforcement officers patrolling our coastal waters. Perhaps these new recruits could offer our friends in DFO a hand in patrolling our waters in search of illegal lobster fishers. The Minister of Fisheries does not seem to realize the extreme seriousness of the problem in West Nova. Registered commercial lobster fishers are already very frustrated and angry with the department of fisheries for failing to put an end to the illegal activity that is presently threatening their livelihoods. I am scared that no noticeable reduction in the lobster catches in the next two months will surely lead to violence.
The Progressive Conservative Party has long been concerned with preserving our ecosystems. In 1986 the PC government approved the national marine parks policy. In 1987 the country's first national marine conservation area known as Fathom Five in Georgian Bay was established. Unfortunately it has yet to be proclaimed and there are still outstanding issues to be addressed.
It is important to note that although the proposed legislation is designed to establish and manage a system of marine conservation areas representative of the 29 marine areas, it does not specifically identify precise geographic locations to be protected. These sites will have to be chosen through much consultation with members of the general public, provincial governments and those individuals who earn their livelihood from our waters.
I cannot stress the points strong enough that much consultation must be undertaken before any particular area is singled out for protection. Provincial governments, municipal governments, affected federal government departments and all stakeholders must be involved in every step of the site selection process. There must be a balanced approach taken when exploring in an area. The interests of our fishing community must be taken into consideration with that of marine habitat before any agreements on locations are finalized.
Conservation is vitally important to all of us but particularly to those who make their living from the water. We cannot simply target a location without exploring the long term effects it will have on industry. Our fishers must have a direct say in the management of their industry. We have already witnessed the disaster that can occur when they are excluded from the decision making process. It is important that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans be involved in the consultation process.
It is also important that aboriginal peoples be involved in the negotiations. With many land claims still to be resolved, it is imperative that they be consulted on creating any new marine reserve areas. There are restrictions on non-renewable resource extractions and careful examination of any proposed site must be explored as to its potential for oil and gas exploration.
Nova Scotia is finally to reap some economic benefits from the Sable oil and gas exploration, thus fulfilling a legacy started by the previous Conservative government. This economic boom would not have been possible if the Sable area had been designated as a marine protected area. This is why we must exhaust all opportunities for constructive consultation sessions with all those who have a vested interest in ocean floors.
It is important that the federal government be prepared to allocate the necessary resources to protect newly designated conservation areas. Otherwise we will open the doors to constant abuse as has been witnessed in our fishing industry.
Furthermore I warn the government against any possible altering of boundaries of future marine conservation areas for economic benefits. We cannot afford to have different rules for different marine areas as the department certainly appears to have in the national park systems where it allows the expansion of Lake Louise for economic reasons yet denies economic development in Tuktut Nogait National Park.
In conclusion, the government set a goal for itself of establishing 10 marine parks by the year 2000. It is obvious that it will not achieve this goal, but it is important and therefore we must choose these marine conservation areas carefully. The clock is ticking and we cannot afford to waste any more time in terms of this important undertaking.
Although this piece of legislation is not perfect, we should send it immediately to committee where I hope the views of interested Canadians will be welcomed in our attempts to make any necessary amendments.