Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to respond to the member opposite on the important issue of the Experimental Lakes Area and environmental research.
After conducting a full review of its operations, Fisheries and Oceans Canada will be reducing the cost of operations and program delivery. This means that the department will increasingly focus its resources on priority areas that directly support conservation and fisheries management.
As such, the department will no longer conduct experimental research that requires whole lake or whole ecosystem manipulation. We believe universities and non-government research facilities are better suited to carry out the type of research done at the Experimental Lakes Area.
Indeed, the research conducted at the Experimental Lakes Area is of interest to many other organizations. This is why departmental officials are working to transfer the facility to another operator who can continue to perform this type of scientific research.
We are hopeful that another operator can be found. The facility offers a unique opportunity to conduct ecosystem experiments; there is significant interest in this type of research within the broader science community; and the department has been very successful in collaborating with universities and other organizations.
While Fisheries and Oceans Canada is winding down its research program at the Experimental Lakes Area, the department will continue to invest in freshwater research in response to departmental needs.
The department's Freshwater Institute in Winnipeg has an active science program. The science staff are continuing to conduct research on freshwater fisheries and habitat science.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada also operates the Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences in Burlington, Ontario. Staff at that laboratory conduct freshwater fisheries research related to fish habitat and sea lamprey, and provide scientific advice to support the department's mandate.
This summer, department scientists and biologists at these institutes, as well as other locations across Canada, were out in the field and in laboratories undertaking research that will help guide environmental policies and regulatory decision-making.
Departmental scientists are conducting research on aquatic invasive species, one of the leading threats to aquatic biodiversity and ecosystem health. They are conducting research on freshwater species at risk. They are conducting research on fish habitat and the impacts of human activities.
The department will continue to invest in priority scientific research, including environmental science. For example, the department has recently launched an aquatic ecosystems research fund. The strategic program for ecosystem-based research and advice began funding aquatic research projects across the country this summer, including freshwater research.
In addition, the department launched the aquatic climate change adaptation services program. This research program will support departmental science aimed at understanding climate change impacts on Canada's oceans and inland waters.
Departmental scientists are also continuing to collaborate with academia on priority research, doing science projects in partnerships with universities and supervising graduate students.
The department remains committed to freshwater science in support of its mandate. The department will continue to conduct science on the aquatic environment and fisheries resources that supports long-term sustainability and conservation. We will continue to invest wisely in priority science areas that directly support conservation and fisheries management.