Madam Speaker, I recognize the hard work of the member for Huron—Bruce on both the fisheries committee and on his trying to achieve and arguing for funding for the sea lamprey program in the lakes.
For members who may not be aware of this issue, sea lampreys are parasitic eel like fish that as adults attach themselves to other fish species and feed on their prey's body fluids. This is why they can cause great harm to fisheries resources and why the Great Lakes fisheries commission has worked over the years to control them. After spending four to seven years in a larva phase a sea lamprey lives one to one and a half years as an adult. It is during the adult phase that sea lampreys cause the most harm, killing up to 40 pounds of fish before they return to the rivers to spawn and die.
The main method used by the Great Lakes fisheries commission to control this parasite is to apply a lampricide in the rivers where the adult animals spawn. Although toxic to sea lamprey, the chemicals used have minimal effects on plants and other aquatic organisms.
As the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans announced on April 1 of this year, the federal government has renewed its support for the Great Lakes fisheries commission. The federal government will contribute $6 million in fiscal year 1998-99 to continue the sea lamprey control program, an increase of over 14% over the last year. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans commitment to sea lamprey control is also not limited to funding for the Great Lakes fisheries commission. In addition to direct support for control of the parasite, the department carries out freshwater science programs that provide indirect support to the commission.
The hon. member would like a long term commitment with respect to funding for a sea lamprey control program in the Great Lakes. I am sure he would—