Madam Speaker, our government takes the conservation and sustainable use of the Pacific herring fisheries very seriously. We are committed to ensuring the conservation of fisheries resources, and I would like to assure Canadians that this is central to the mandate of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
The decisions we make about setting catch limits and implementing a fishery management plan for Pacific herring are informed by a rigorous and thorough process informed by science and input from a wide variety of first nations, commercial fishing interests and the broader public.
Each year, scientific surveys are conducted in each of the five major Pacific herring stock areas, one of which is the Strait of Georgia. These surveys, along with biological sampling, inform the annual development of a peer-reviewed stock assessment by scientists at DFO. This stock assessment provides up-to-date advice on the health of each stock, which managers use to draft a fisheries management plan for each stock area that is consistent with the department's sustainable fisheries framework policies, which requires that we take a precautionary approach.
Our draft management plan goes through a public consultation process to ensure that we account for important indigenous and local knowledge before making final decisions about fishery planning.
This year, the peer-reviewed stock assessment estimates for Pacific herring indicate that the biomass of the stock in the Strait of Georgia is in a very healthy state. A limited roe herring fishery was proposed for the Strait of Georgia that ensured that a minimum of 80% of the estimated biomass was left in the water. This will ensure that there are enough herring left to spawn and sustain fisheries into the future and ensure that herring can continue to play an important role in the ecosystem as a source of food for many other species, such as salmon, seals, sea lions and humpback whales.
Where evidence of concerns have emerged in the Strait of Georgia, we have responded. For example, we have implemented several closed areas where no herring fishery will be permitted to occur to protect sensitive spawning areas of localized Pacific herring populations. I can assure everyone that the decision to close an area is not taken lightly and is always grounded in scientific advice.
Furthermore, over the past three years, the department has initiated a comprehensive renewal of its Pacific herring management regime through an extensive consultative process with first nations and fisheries stakeholders to ensure that it reflects the broadened goals Canadians have come to expect from fisheries resource management and the best available scientific advice about how we can achieve those goals.
Our approach to the management of the fishery in the Strait of Georgia this year explicitly reflects this comprehensive work. More details about this can be found in the fishery management plan that was developed by way of a public consultation process and that has been widely circulated to all stakeholders.
In closing, I would reiterate that the management decisions we made this year for the Pacific herring fishery are based on careful consideration of the concerns raised and the best available science.