Debates of Nov. 24th, 2020

Fisheries and Oceans—Main Estimates, 2020-21

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Chair, indigenous leaders have expressed concern, even calling for the need of peacekeepers. The Municipality of Barrington, commercial fishery representatives and even the premier of Nova Scotia have been critical of the minister's inaction.

When everyone was calling for her to act, why did she appoint a retired Liberal politician to take the lead for her?

[Bernadette Jordan, Liberal, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Mr. Chair, I have been involved in this file and engaged in it since day one. We have appointed a special representative to work with the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and me. He is a neutral third party. He is there to bridge the gap between first nations communities and industry. This is actually something industry asked for.

We have full confidence in Mr. Surette. We will continue to work with him to make sure we are going forward in the right way. It is extremely important that commercial harvesters and indigenous people, who have fished side by side for generations, continue to do that. We are looking for the right path forward.

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Chair, how many names were considered alongside Mr. Surette's?

[Bernadette Jordan, Liberal, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Mr. Chair, I cannot speak to confidential negotiations on who was involved in that process. We are extremely proud of—

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

The hon. Leader of the Opposition.

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Chair, my question was how many names did the minister consider for the special appointment before she appointed a former Liberal politician?

[Bernadette Jordan, Liberal, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Mr. Chair, Mr. Surette has a long-standing history of community advocacy. He has been a well-respected member in his community. He has worked in fisheries negotiations in the past. I have full confidence in his abilities, and I will continue to make sure we work closely with him to see what his report comes out—

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

The hon. Leader of the Opposition.

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Chair, I will chalk that response up to a whole-of-government approach to considering it. I hope people in Nova Scotia are seeing the minister's inability to respond to simple questions.

On September 16, the minister said that unauthorized fishing activity would not be tolerated. Of course, this was on the eve of the commencement of the commercial lobster fishery. Was she referring to the commercial fishery, and that she wanted it to stop in Nova Scotia?

[Bernadette Jordan, Liberal, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Mr. Chair, the Marshall decision is clear that first nation communities have a right to fish. We are working with those communities to make sure that we are able to implement that right. It is a critical piece of work for reconciliation, and it is a priority for this government.

We are working with communities to discuss their fishery plans now. We are moving forward with negotiations. It has been a positive process. We will continue to do the hard work necessary to make sure we have agreements in place.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

The hon. Leader of the Opposition has time for one last question.

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Chair, it is perhaps fitting to end here. In the member's maiden speech, she said the commercial fishery was vitally important to rural Nova Scotia. In recent weeks, she has been complaining that it is unauthorized.

Does she understand why many constituents in Nova Scotia are disappointed with the minister?

[Bernadette Jordan, Liberal, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Mr. Chair, the commercial fishery in Nova Scotia is extremely important to our economic growth. It is important to our rural coastal communities. It is something I have stood behind since I was first elected, and I will continue to do that.

I do not appreciate the member opposite putting words in my mouth. I am extremely committed to making sure we find the right path forward, which not only addresses indigenous rights, but also makes sure we address the concerns from commercial harvesters.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Resuming debate, the hon. Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.

[Bernadette Jordan, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries]

Mr. Chair, it is a pleasure to speak in the House today.

The primary reason I am here today is to discuss the spending plans for Fisheries and Oceans Canada for the 2020-21 fiscal year. In these main estimates, I am seeking a total of $3.5 billion, which represents a $469 million increase over last year. For the most part, this increase is primarily the result of new funding to advance reconciliation between the Crown and indigenous peoples by implementing agreements and treaties, as well as engaging with indigenous communities and stakeholders on fisheries policy.

It also represents incremental funding to continue the Canadian Coast Guard's fleet recapitalization projects, which will help to modernize the fleet and extend the life of its existing vessels, ensuring that the Coast Guard can continue to deliver critical services in support of the safety of Canada's coasts, waterways and oceans.

Planned spending will help my department provide important economic opportunities to Canadians in coastal communities, sustain and rebuild fisheries to ensure that they remain healthy for future generations, and protect and promote our oceans, coasts and waterways.

As the federal minister responsible for fisheries and oceans, I am responsible for ensuring that our marine resources are managed for the long term and in the public interest. It is also incumbent upon me to advance Canada's commitment to reconciliation by ensuring that my department works in close collaboration with indigenous peoples to manage Canada's fisheries.

This can only be done through the co-development of new solutions that are consistent with the constitutional protections provided to aboriginal and treaty rights, and meaningfully advance Canada's important relationships with indigenous peoples, while ensuring a stable, predictable fishery for all participants.

Funding for reconciliation on indigenous rights issues will be used to implement reconciliation agreements and treaties, as well as engage with indigenous communities and stakeholders on fisheries policy. These landmark agreements are designed to help close economic gaps through the development of partnerships and co-management regimes, and by increasing aboriginal access to fisheries licences and quotas, thereby augmenting their participation in fishing-related activities.

Our government is committed to working alongside indigenous peoples to collaboratively manage this vital resource and ensure that as stewards of our land and waters they have a rightful place at the table when it comes to the management of our fisheries.

One of the most important priorities is restoring the health of wild salmon stocks and other important fish stocks across Canada. As members know, our government announced an additional $107 million to support the implementation of stock assessment and rebuilding provisions in the renewed fisheries act to sustain Canada's wild fish stocks.

We also launched the B.C. salmon restoration and innovation fund and the Quebec fisheries fund, both modelled on the very successful Atlantic fisheries fund to support projects focused on building resilience thorough restoration, promotion of science partnerships, innovation and adoptive technologies.

Our government is also making an additional contribution of $5 million to the Pacific Salmon Endowment Fund Society to support the important work of the Pacific Salmon Foundation to engage community groups in salmon conservation. These new funds will enable the foundation to be even more effective going forward.

These are among many activities that support our wild salmon policy implementation plan over the next five years to support important changes to the management of our aquaculture policies.

Keeping mariners safe and protecting our marine environment is a duty we entrust to the brave women and men in the Canadian Coast Guard. They are the backbone of one of the strongest marine safety systems in the world. Our government is committed to providing the Coast Guard with the tools it needs to keep Canadians safe and keep our economy moving.

In 2019, we announced the largest investment ever made to renew the Coast Guard fleet with 24 new large ships, 16 multi-purpose vessels, two Arctic offshore patrol ships, and six program icebreakers.

Additionally, our government also announced investments of over $2 billion for the comprehensive vessel life extension program for the Coast Guard's existing fleet. Building whole new classes of vessels takes a great deal of time, planning, money and effort. Repairs, refits and vessel life extension work must be carried out on the existing fleet until new ships are delivered under the national shipbuilding strategy.

We recently marked the completion of the first class of ships built under Canada national shipbuilding strategy with the acceptance of three offshore fishery science vessels. These are Canada's first-ever vessels purposely designed and built for vital offshore fisheries research, science and monitoring.

The Canadian Coast Guard would not be what it is today without the tremendous support of Canada's shipbuilding and marine industry, which fuels innovation and skills development, and creates new opportunities for workers and businesses across the country.

Our significant commitment to renew the Coast Guard fleet will provide our crews with state-of-the-art equipment and preserve the world-class marine safety regime that Canada enjoys.

On oceans protection, our government has exceeded its marine conservation targets to protect 10% of our oceans by the end of 2020. We are at nearly 14% now and already working toward our 25% target by 2025. That is with real protections that will have biodiversity benefits for generations to come.

This past summer, Canada joined the United Kingdom's global ocean alliance. One of the key focuses of this alliance is advocating for the adoption of the global target of 30% by 2030, which is a key pillar of next year's Convention on Biological Diversity, COP 15 meeting. Our historic $1.5-billion oceans protection plan is creating a world-leading marine safety system, restoring and protecting marine and coastal ecosystems and habitats, enhancing environmental and local emergency response, and strengthening our ability to trade with confidence and safety.

As we go forward, we will accelerate the use of tools such as marine spatial planning to allow us to plan our ocean spaces in collaboration with provincial and territorial partners, indigenous peoples, and industry and environmental stakeholders. Our government has invested in Canada's ocean supercluster, composed of businesses, academia and non-profits, to accelerate innovation in sustainable economic growth in our oceans. We are mobilizing internationally to deliver the scientific knowledge, innovation and capacity needed to strengthen oceans protection because science and innovation will be the critical pillar of the strong, blue economy.

Our government is committed to promoting economic opportunities for Canadians while ensuring our oceans and resources remain healthy for future generations. As part of the approval of the Trans Mountain expansion project, our government put forward eight accommodation measures to address concerns raised by indigenous peoples.

We are implementing four of these measures, which focus on building capacity and enhancing long-term relationships with indigenous groups. These measures seek to advance shared objectives for maintaining and restoring fish habitat, understanding and monitoring the cumulative effects and improving spill prevention response capacity. I look forward to sharing more about these and other developments with my fellow parliamentarians in the months ahead.

Our nation's prosperity depends on making sure that the benefits of growing the economy are felt by more and more people with good, well-paying jobs for the middle class. We are well positioned to deliver on the government's priorities, and the investments I have mentioned will allow DFO and the Coast Guard to continue to carry out the important work of service to Canadians.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

We have just over seven minutes remaining in this time slot for questions. I will note for hon. members that this is a unique part of this evening's format, where normally the minister herself is receiving questions. When she takes a speaking slot, obviously she cannot pose questions to herself. Therefore, I will receive questions from the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and then in all other subsequent rounds, regardless of which member is asking questions, questions will be directed to either to the minister or her parliamentary secretary.

We will go the hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.

[Terry Beech, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries]

Mr. Chair, British Columbia is home to a significant number of recreational fishers who drive the economies of small coastal communities. In order to continue to thrive, they need access and opportunity to fish. Billions of dollars of economic activity depend on it and is at risk if we do not take action.

I had the opportunity recently to go out with a group of recreational fishers on Vancouver Island and talk about how we as a federal government can help. They fully recognize that there are stocks of concern and that we are having to make some very tough decisions to ensure that there are more fish in the water for the benefit of future generations. One solution they continue to raise with me and I know they have raised with the minister is a mark-selective fishery. The idea seems to have a lot of merit and can contribute significantly to providing greater access and opportunity while we work on longer-term restorative measures.

Could the minister take this opportunity to elaborate on what she and/or the department is doing to consider this idea and potentially implement it going forward and could she also provide any insight into any complicating factors that might have to be figured out prior to implementing such a fishery?

[Bernadette Jordan, Liberal, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Mr. Chair, first of all, I support exploring a mark-selective fishery. I understand how important the public fishery is to B.C.'s economy. A number of small businesses, whether tour guides or lodges, have suffered recently and not only due to the loss of tourism this year, but also due to the loss of the wild salmon. The cascading implications have not just been on them, but on first nations commercial harvesters and so many more.

A mark-selective fishery is one possible option that can be explored in terms of fish retention while reducing impacts to wild stocks. Indeed, there is no smoking gun when it comes to the salmon returns and making sure that we are seeing it last for years to come.

I am glad to say that my department is currently reviewing information to support the decision-making on potential expansion of the mark-selective fishery. There are vital concerns that need to be thoroughly understood, though. For instance, the mark-selective fisheries will still encounter wild Chinook. Release mortalities of stock concern needs to be accounted for to ensure that the mark-selective fisheries do not adversely impact the wild stocks.

I have been speaking with sports fishers in B.C., as well as environmental organizations. I have heard how a mark-selective fishery can offer potential benefits. I fully want to make sure that we continue to speak to these organizations to fully understand the issues of the potential, but we also need to know what we need to do to mitigate the concerns that we are also hearing.

To do this work, DFO is going to undertake additional consultations to further inform our decision-making and we will do everything we can to work with these communities to address the concerns that we are hearing.

[Terry Beech, Liberal, Burnaby North—Seymour, BC]

Mr. Chair, British Columbia has many iconic species that call our coastal waters home, but none is more iconic or beloved than our southern resident killer whales. I have had an opportunity to work on our government's whale restoration program from various angles in DFO in science and in transport.

Could the minister update this committee on the measures our government is taking to make sure this species is better positioned to thrive and increase its populations going forward?

[Bernadette Jordan, Liberal, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Mr. Chair, our government is committed to the protection and recovery of the iconic southern resident killer whales. In recent years we have taken significant steps to address the key threats to their survival. This May, we introduced measures focused on increasing prey availability and reducing the physical and acoustic disturbances, building on our efforts from last year.

These measures are informed by discussions with indigenous communities, environment, industry and with the governments of B.C. and the U.S. It was extremely important to have input from the public. We are going to continue to work with key partners and stakeholders to make sure we do protect these iconic creatures.

[Terry Beech, Liberal, Burnaby North—Seymour, BC]

Mr. Chair, the minister mentioned this in her speech. Many wild Pacific salmon populations are at historic lows. This is a species that is also iconic to British Columbia and is a part of our cultural identity. There is perhaps no other species in the country that demonstrates so easily how the health of our environment and the health of our economy go hand in hand.

I would like to know how much has been invested to support British Columbia's salmon populations and what projects the government is working on to return wild salmon stocks to levels of traditional abundance.

[Bernadette Jordan, Liberal, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Madam Chair, the protection of the wild Pacific salmon stocks is a priority for our government. We have been working with a number of organizations through the B.C. SRIF program to make sure we are working toward habitat restoration. We have also invested in Big Bar, which was a significant landslide last year that seriously impacted the Fraser River salmon.

We are making sure we are doing everything possible to face these challenges head-on. As I have said, there is no one solution to the declining stocks. We are taking a number of different initiatives to make sure we address this concern. We know how important it is to the people of B.C. and to the culture of B.C.

It is not enough to just protect the fish that are still there. We need to make sure we are growing them to abundance, and that is the goal.

[Terry Beech, Liberal, Burnaby North—Seymour, BC]

Madam Chair, I know I have been very B.C. centric in my questions so far, and I am going to get a second chance later this evening. Perhaps I could ask the minister how important small craft harbours are to this country and to her personally.

[Bernadette Jordan, Liberal, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Madam Chair, small craft harbours are extremely important. They are the vital infrastructure that keeps our fishery running. We need to make sure we are doing everything. Our government has invested significantly in small craft harbours. I know how important they are to our rural coastal communities and I will continue to work to make sure we are addressing the gaps we are seeing in our small craft harbours.

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Manicouagan, QC]

Madam Chair, people sometimes forget the essential role that maritime fisheries played in the development of Quebec. It was through fishing, among other things, that Europeans first met first nations peoples. Even today, the sea is a crossroads where people meet up, rub shoulders and exchange ideas, but also where they sometimes clash. It was actually to secure control of the fishery that Great Britain and France fought during the colonial era, and it is unfortunately for that reason that some communities remain divided, even today, in the Maritimes.

In the past, this sector has also been the subject of federal-provincial bickering. On that front, no one will be surprised to hear me say that nothing is settled. In Quebec, fishing plays a fundamental role in the economic and social life of many communities in the Gaspé region, the Magdalen Islands, the Lower St. Lawrence, as well as in my home region, the North Shore, and in northern Quebec.

In 2018 the maritime fisheries represented more than 4,500 direct and indirect jobs and generated revenues totalling more than $435 million for the Quebec economy. For many indigenous communities, such as the Innu, Maliseet and Mi'kmaq nations, the fisheries offer economic development opportunities that enable them to envisage a better future based on activities historically practised by those nations.

Fishing is a tangible reality that has been neglected for far too long by successive governments, resulting in the consequences we are familiar with and continue to experience. I am therefore taking this opportunity to outline the approach to marine fisheries that my party, the Bloc Québécois, intends to defend, because we can and we must do better for Quebec.

As members surely know, fishing is a shared jurisdiction under the Constitution Act, 1867. The conservation, regulation and protection of the resource are the federal government's responsibility, while the processing of seafood products and the ownership of the resource are Quebec's responsibility. As the former leader of the Bloc Québécois, Gilles Duceppe, so ably put it, when the fish is in the water, it is managed by the federal government, and when it is out of the water, it belongs to Quebec. If it comes out head first, it belongs to Quebec; if it comes out tail first, it belongs to the federal government. I would add that when it arrives at the processing plant, it returns to Quebec's jurisdiction.

The result of this division of powers is the worst part of Canadian federalism, in other words inconsistency in public policy. As hon. members know, Quebec's motto is Je me souviens, or I remember. Nonetheless, memory can sometimes play tricks on us and even make us forget. In time, we end up taking certain things for granted. The federal government's hegemony over fisheries management is one such thing. History shows us that this was not always that way.

Did hon. members know that for 62 years, the Government of Quebec was in charge of issuing fishing licences, enforcing the law, establishing the rules and developing other salt water fishing activities? Did hon. members know that for nearly 55 years, that management went off without a hitch under a Quebec-Canada agreement signed in 1922?

Did hon. members know that in July 1983, the government of Pierre Elliott Trudeau unilaterally decided to end this Quebec-Canada agreement, thereby sparking another quarrel with Quebec? Let's not forget that. On the contrary, let's remember.

Did hon. members know that the traditional position of the Government of Quebec, reiterated by several successive governments since 1936, is that the provinces should have exclusive jurisdiction over fisheries in their territory? Very few people know that. The Bloc Québécois knows it, and our position on this matter is the same as Quebec's.

By terminating the 1922 agreement, Ottawa did two things. First, it demonstrated predatory federalism by taking away a tool that empowered Quebec to pursue vigorous development of its marine fisheries. Second, it reinforced the inconsistency in public policy. The two sectors are necessarily interdependent.

As a result of this confusion, fisheries development has suffered. As a result, Fisheries and Oceans is failing to publish RFPs in French, even though it was reprimanded by the Commissioner of Official Languages years ago.

As a result, people back home have been protesting for years demanding that the government return what was theirs, meaning access to the resource and saltwater fishing licences, but the department has ignored their demand.

As a result, the regulations are ambiguous and decisions are made opaquely. As a result, small craft harbours have a 25-year infrastructure deficit and communities are withering away. As a result, all the tools are there, but there is nothing to implement a food sovereignty and land use policy.

As a result, fishers feel abandoned, the first nations are legitimately angry and the quotas completely disregard Quebec and the provinces, and in the end, the final result is that there is no result, which is worse. Things need to change.

We need to completely overhaul the procedures at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. We think the department needs to pivot towards decentralization. It needs to get back to the spirit of the 1922 agreement and work with Quebec, the fishers and the first nations. Why not restore management of the fisheries to as close to the coastal communities as possible, with full financial compensation?

Ottawa must stop its inept management of resources within Quebec's boundaries. It is time to put some serious thought into the fisheries and the federal government's action, inaction and counteraction on this front.

The Bloc Québécois represents a movement, and, as we did in the past with the St. Lawrence report, we will engage. We expect the government to push for the status quo, but we will not give up.

Quebec is a land of fields, lakes, forests, rivers and mountains, but it is also a maritime nation. Quebeckers are a seagoing people. I want to see Quebec and its territory become a single, indivisible entity.

Now that I have completed my opening remarks, I would like to ask our Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard a few questions.

My first question is about how the department's funding is allocated. I would like to know if the minister feels that every region her department covers receives its fair share of funding.