Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak today to the motion by the member for Cardigan, which essentially calls for a licence buyout program for Atlantic lobster fishers.
Although a number of industries are looking for support from Ottawa, the Conservative government seems to have relegated the fisheries to the sidelines.
Yet this very important industry has many challenges as it faces a more complex problem: the decline of certain stocks and the fact that others, which have been under a moratorium for years, have not recovered.
The Bloc Québécois has long called for a licence buyout program for certain species, such as ground fish. In our opinion, this is necessary for the survival of the east coast fisheries.
The member for Cardigan will have no problem getting support from the Bloc Québécois for a program to rationalize the fisheries as long as that program is funded with new money and the buyouts do not affect regional shares of the fish stocks.
I would like to take a moment to look at what has led to this problem. How have we reached the point where we are setting up programs to pay fishers to stop fishing?
From where we stand, the problem is that both the Conservatives and the Liberals as acting as if they no longer believed in the viability of the fishing industry. The Liberals have failed to manage the resource with a view to ensuring sustainable development. They have tolerated overfishing and have let marine infrastructure deteriorate.
As for the Conservatives, they are keeping the industry in uncertainty with their arbitrary management of the resource. The Liberals are to blame for the depletion of fish stocks. By failing to respond to foreign overfishing and to carefully manage groundfish stocks, the Liberals have mortgaged the future of fisheries and made moratoriums necessary.
The Conservatives are managing the resource arbitrarily. Under the current Conservative government, fisheries management is more arbitrary than ever. Loyola Hearn, the former fisheries and oceans minister and member for a Newfoundland riding, seemed to care only about Newfoundland and the Maritimes. There are many examples.
First, in 2006, Loyola Hearn allocated an additional quota of 7,000 tons of shrimp to Newfoundland fishers, despite the fact that markets were already saturated. As a result, in the middle of the fishing season, Quebec fishers had to agree to a 2.5¢ cent drop in the landing price.
Second, the current Conservative government was slow in implementing a review process for the sharing of seal stocks, because the status quo was favouring Newfoundland, the former fisheries and oceans minister's home province.
Third, on November 8, 2006, lobster fishers from the Magdalen Islands had the McLeod shoal, a high potential 50 nautical mile square fishing zone, taken away from them and given to PEI fishers.
Since the last election, we have a new Minister of Fisheries and Oceans who acts just like her predecessor. In early April, the current fisheries and oceans minister approved a shrimp harvesting plan for the Gulf of St. Lawrence for 2009, which provides for the quota to be permanently allocated to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
Clearly, that is an outrageous decision.
Once again, a minister favours her province. The present Minister of Fisheries and Oceans represents one of the four ridings of Prince Edward Island. Moreover, the minister reduces Quebec and New Brunswick quotas to give them to provinces who do not even have a shrimp processing industry. This is a blatant scandal. The decision completely ignores precautionary and preservation principles since the total catch limit is being raised by 1,000 tonnes despite the fact that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans scientists recommended the status quo.
We can understand better now why we have to pay fishermen to stop fishing. For decades, successive Liberal and Conservative governments allowed overfishing and squandered fish resources for short-term political gain. The Bloc Quebecois is asking for an end to the politicization of fisheries management. Decisions must be taken on the basis of scientific data. We must stop seeing fish stock as electoral goodies that can be given to a region.
In the last election, the Bloc proposed an ambitious plan to stimulate the fishery. That plan is now more pertinent than ever since besides helping workers in the industry, it could stimulate the economy at a time where it continues to sink. Let me describe the main features of the plan.
In terms of marine infrastructure, major investments have to be made to repair core small craft harbours in Canada and Quebec.
Concerning the cost of licences, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans must reconsider that cost to take into account the value of landings and ensure the implementation of a policy regarding the reimbursement of the unused portion of fishing licences.
On the seal hunt issue, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans must guarantee Quebec a share of seal quotas so we can have a viable industry in Quebec. It must also put in place an assistance plan with respect to groundfish to help industries, plant workers and fishers.
The Bloc Québécois proposes that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans do another round of fishing licence buyback. In the short term, the federal government must develop special EI measures and put in place a program for older workers.
In terms of international competition, the Canadian government must participate actively in the development of an enforceable international framework so that an environmentally-friendly aquaculture industry can be developed.
Unless a reciprocal bilateral agreement ensuring freer access to markets is signed, the Bloc Québécois believes that Canada should impose a tariff equal to that allowed under the most favoured nation status on imports of seafood products from WTO member countries.
In conclusion, we are saying yes to a new round of licence buyback. However, we believe that it is even more important to put a stop to political patronage in this industry and to implement a real policy to stimulate the fishing industry.