Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have the opportunity today to respond to the member opposite on the important issue of the Experimental Lakes Area.
As part of the government-wide deficit reduction action plan, Fisheries and Oceans Canada reviewed all of its operations and is now implementing measures to reduce the cost of operations and program delivery. As a result of the review, the Government of Canada made its decisions, and Fisheries and Oceans will no longer operate the Experimental Lakes Area.
However, the department hopes to transfer the facility to another operator better suited to managing it and ensuring it is available to scientists and universities, or elsewhere, that need to do whole lake manipulations. Such a transfer would allow the research to continue by other parties and the department is working hard to find another operator. Officials are continuing discussions with the Province of Ontario, which owns the land, as well as other interested parties about transferring the facility.
The department is now focusing on work that is being conducted at other locations across the country to meet its research needs. The department will focus its use of research-dedicated resources to priority areas and invest in areas where it achieves the best results for Canadians. Indeed, departmental scientists are out in the field undertaking freshwater research in various locations across Canada, including the Great Lakes, the Fraser River, lakes and streams in the Northwest Territories, Lake Winnipeg and the St. Lawrence River.
The department is conducting research in these areas where scientific advice is needed to guide sustainable development and enhance economic prosperity. Departmental scientists and biologists will continue to conduct relevant research that is essential to guide environmental policies and regulatory decision-making and they will continue to provide scientific advice to support the department's mandate.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada has an active freshwater science program in many priority areas, including aquatic invasive species, species at risk and freshwater fish habitat. For example, staff at the Freshwater Institute in Winnipeg and at the Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences in Burlington are conducting research on freshwater fisheries related to fish habitat and invasive species such as Asian carp and sea lamprey. We are proud of the work they are doing.
Departmental scientists will also continue to collaborate with academia, industry and non-governmental organizations on priority research. For example, departmental researchers will continue to partner on projects with universities and supervise graduate students. The results of these research collaborations are part of the important information that the department uses to develop policies and make decisions about our aquatic environment and fisheries resources.
As we can see, the department remains committed to freshwater science in support of its mandate. The department will continue to conduct research on the aquatic environment and fisheries resources, which supports long-term sustainability and conservation. We will continue to invest wisely in priority science areas that directly support conservation and fisheries management.