Mr. Speaker, I am pleased this morning to speak to the motion put forward by the hon. member for Sackville—Eastern Shore. Having sat on the committee with this gentleman I must say he has been a valuable asset on the committee. I value the input he has put in from time to time.
This is an interesting topic but I will not be supporting it because it probably will not be a votable item. I think it is important that we have this debate and discuss the importance of fishers in Canada. I want to lend my support, at least in measure, to that part.
The motion speaks about the opinion of the House in terms of declaring an international week of awareness regarding the benefits of small scale fishing on the environment and for the sustainability of communities.
We have heard many times in the House that the first priority in managing fisheries must be conservation. We can all see the results of putting other priorities before conservation. The effects are evident in the state of the fish stocks on both coasts and in the negative impact the fishery closures can have on people who depend on this industry.
However worthwhile other priorities are, they cannot come before conservation. Without conservation there will be no fish resulting in no fishing industry, no jobs, community disruption and the loss of $2.8 billion a year in seafood exports.
Putting conservation at the top of the list where it belongs changes this whole picture. We must now consider any proposal in light of how it affects conservation. For example, what do we want to see? Do we want to see more and more fishermen on the water competing with one another for an ever diminishing supply of fish, making less and less every year, relying on government subsidies and eventually exterminating the fish stocks? Or do we want government to implement a conservation based management regime that makes decisions based on how they will affect fish stocks in the long run? The right answer is obvious.
We need a sustainable fishery and a regime where a professional core of fishermen practices responsible fishing using conservation harvesting technologies. We need a sustainable fisheries that delivers a good living to those who work in it and an industry capable of weathering the ups and downs of fish stocks and markets without government subsidies.
Conservation must come first. By putting in place this conservation based management we can also create the conditions for a healthy fishing industry. It will not be the industry of the past. Conditions have changed as they have in all industries. We cannot continue using the fishery as a tool for social welfare and economic development. That is the practice that got us to where we are today. Change is necessary.
We know that leaving the old ways behind is causing pain for many Canadians on both coasts. The government has not ploughed blindly ahead oblivious to the human cost of this change. Instead it has moved to ease the pain and smooth the transition for Canada's fishing communities.
On June 19 the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, the Minister of Human Resources Development and the minister responsible for ACOA announced a package of measures worth $730 million to assist those affected by the crisis of the east coast fishery. At the same time the government announced a $400 million restructuring initiative for the west coast salmon fishery.
The east coast measures included $250 million for a voluntary groundfish licence retirement program, approximately $180 million in final lump sum payments to clients of the Atlantic groundfish strategy, and $135 million in adjustment measures to provide fishery workers with access to tools and resources to leave the fishery. It provided up to $100 million for community and regional economic development and up to $65 million for early retirement.
On the west coast the $400 million package included $200 million for fishery restructuring. This was designed to develop more selective fishing practices and balance fleet size with the salmon resource. It included $100 million for early retirement and adjustment programs on behalf of displaced fishery workers and community development. The package also included $100 million for measures to protect and restore salmon habitat. This package would provide funding for habitat initiatives, foster community based stewardship programs aimed at protecting habitat from further damage and extend community restoration and enhancement partnership programs.
It must also be recalled that in the 1998 budget the minister moved our baseline funding for the sea lamprey program from $5.3 million to $6 million. That was a very positive initiative for those of us in central Canada. For those who may not know, the sea lamprey has plagued the sports fishing industry for many years and because of the good will of government of the past and because of our association with the Americans we have been able to limit that species from becoming so dominant that it would completely destroy our sports fishing industry.
The minister saw fit to increase that number to $6 million. It is my hope the minister on baseline funding will provide us even a further increase for that funding in future years so that we can come to rely on that and the sports fishing industry can go forward. It provides for the Government of Canada coffers, in GST alone, $65 million or thereabouts and perhaps even more than that. It is important that we rely on government funding to keep this sport alive.
The government understands the need for change. We need to involve and assist those who are affected by this change. In the best Canadian tradition the government has moved to help Canada's fishing communities deal with the consequences of these changes. They are not always easy.
The government is also continuing to support the development of the aquaculture industry. This industry shows good strong growth and good prospects and is an important contributor to sustainable employment in rural and coastal communities. The government will announce the appointment of an aquaculture commissioner in the near future to facilitate further sustainable growth of the industry.
When it comes to helping Canada's rural communities, many of them fishing communities, the government is paying attention. Rural issues were a theme of the government's 1997 election platform. The government has undertaken a series of policy initiatives, including the creation of a national rural initiative. In the $20 million Canada rural partnership program, $5 million a year for the next four years was announced in the 1998 federal budget. This program provided funding to pilot projects developed by rural associations, organizations and residents to test new ideas in partnerships with government departments.
The Canadian rural partnership program also forms the framework for the Government of Canada's rural development strategy. The program is overseen by the minister of agriculture and is intended to ensure that federal programs, policies and activities provide a co-ordinated network of assistance to rural communities.
The Minister of Fisheries and Oceans strongly supports this initiative, particularly as it meets the needs of Canada's coastal communities. The program is being designed and implemented by an interdepartmental working group but the ideas and energy behind the project come from rural Canadians.
In 1998-99, $3.2 million will be used to fund a series of pilot projects that will build an existing rural network and support greater grassroots participation in community based development. These projects will test new ways of responding to rural issues such as the need for better access to investment funds and health care.
This goal is to fund projects that help rural communities to develop the tools they need to improve their quality of life and compete in the global economy.
Just last September the minister of agriculture was in Newfoundland to announce 12 Atlantic regional projects. These projects ranged from coastal geoscience to cultural tourism and are being undertaken with the help of close to $500,000 from the Canadian rural partnership program.
Of the 12 Atlantic projects, 2 are slated for Newfoundland, 4 for Prince Edward Island, 5 for Nova Scotia and 1 for New Brunswick. These projects are concerned with finding ways to diversify the economy and generate economic growth.
The federal government has given rural communities a high priority and we can see that it is moving to help them to survive and prosper in the realities of today's world.
Coupled with the assistance of east and west coast fisheries already in place, we can see the government is doing what is needed to ensure the sustainability of Canada's fishing communities.
Once again I must say to my colleague I appreciate his effort in putting forward this motion. It was good for us to have had this debate. I think it has drawn an awareness to the importance of the fishery.