Debates of Nov. 24th, 2020

Fisheries and Oceans—Main Estimates, 2020-21

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Madam Chair, we hear about the government and its relationship with first nations and see how it has failed to honour section 35 rights. We have heard from witnesses that a large part of the issue is that DFO does not have the mandate to negotiate on a nation-to-nation basis. Witnesses say that responsibility falls to the government and the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and that she should be leading this discussion.

What can she say to ensure true nation-to-nation discussions are happening that are not based on existing regulations and colonial procedures?

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

Madam Chair, when it comes to reconciliation, our government takes a whole-of-government approach. I work directly with the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations on the agreements we have with first nations, particularly right now in Atlantic Canada given what we are dealing with regarding the moderate livelihood fishery. It is extremely important that those negotiations and conversations include the minister and me.

We are going to continue to make sure we address the concerns we hear. We will continue to work on the path of reconciliation. It is not an easy thing to do, but we are committed to making sure we get there.

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Madam Chair, European green crab in B.C. are a significant threat to wild Pacific salmon. The minister and DFO failed to live up to the direction of the Auditor General in controlling the spread of green crab.

Will the minister be providing adequate funding to coastal first nations, which have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars of their own funds, to develop a comprehensive plan to mitigate the impact of the European green crab?

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

Madam Chair, my mandate letter addresses aquatic invasive species. The European green crab can have significant impacts on marine ecosystems and can harm shellfish and aquaculture industries.

DFO is collaborating with our partners, including first nations, provincial governments, stakeholders and the U.S. state and federal governments, to address the threat of this species to Canada's fisheries and ecosystems. We know there is a lot of work to be done when it comes to aquatic invasive species and we are committed to doing that work.

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Madam Chair, a significant comprehensive recovery effort should be in place for the species affected by the Big Bar slide. Returns have been near zero and it seems DFO is not treating this issue like the severe emergency it is.

When will the department be initiating a comprehensive recovery effort for salmon populations affected by the Big Bar slide?

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

Madam Chair, I am very proud of the work we have done at Big Bar. It has been a trigovernment approach. We have implemented a number of measures to make sure salmon are able to traverse the river. We are currently in the process of creating a natural fish passway. These are all things that have to be done, because we know how important the salmon are in the Fraser River.

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

Madam Chair, I am thankful for the opportunity to contribute to today's discussion at this gathering of the committee of the whole. I have about nine or 10 minutes of comments and then I will proceed to questions at the end of my time.

As the minister has indicated, the funding we are seeking relates to our government's priorities of promoting economic opportunities for all Canadians, advancing reconciliation with indigenous people, strengthening environmental protections and making sure our waters are safe and navigable. Our government is focused on not just protecting the environment, but restoring it for the benefit of future generations.

We know that the foundation of a strong economy can only be built with a clean and thriving environment. In fact, there is no better demonstration of how the economy and the environment go hand in hand than our wild Pacific salmon.

Serving and restoring Pacific salmon and ensuring a stable and predictable fishery for all participants, both indigenous and non-indigenous, is a responsibility we take very seriously. In many rural and coastal communities, salmon fisheries are a real economic driver that generate jobs and opportunities for thousands of Canadians. Salmon fisheries are part of the cultural identity of the province of British Columbia and play a critical role in building coastal indigenous economies, enabling indigenous groups to develop improved capacity for self-governance and self-determination. To many of our indigenous communities, wild Pacific salmon are not just an economic opportunity, but a way of life that is an important, if not sacred, tradition.

Our government is committed to working with indigenous peoples to explore opportunities to further recognize rights and advance reconciliation in the context of fisheries, oceans, aquatic habitats and marine waterways. Canada's wild salmon policies speak to the importance of maintaining the biodiversity of these important stocks, as well as their significance to commercial and recreational fish harvesters, indigenous peoples and, really, all Canadians.

We have collaborated closely on the creation of a $142-million B.C. salmon restoration and innovation fund, a federal-provincial cost-shared program funded jointly with the Government of British Columbia. We have made an additional contribution of $5 million to the Pacific salmon endowment fund to support the Pacific Salmon Foundation, which is doing incredible work to restore wild Pacific salmon and its habitat.

We announced $15 million in additional annual funding to support stock assessments, wire tagging and catch monitoring. These investments contribute to our obligations under the Canada-U.S. Pacific Salmon Treaty and are targeted toward better managing west coast salmon fishing. We are investing $107 million to support the sustainability of Canada's major fish stocks through implementation of the renewed Fisheries Act. We have also invested significant resources in restoring natural passage on the Fraser River after the devastating Big Bar landslide, and we are committed to transitioning from open net-pen finfish aquaculture on the west coast of Canada.

We are making difficult decisions and important investments today to ensure that Pacific salmon are available for future generations. With many wild—

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

I am sorry to interrupt the hon. parliamentary secretary. The sound is not coming from your boom, but from your computer. Could you check the button on the speakers to see if it is on mute?

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

Is that better?

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

Yes. I thank the member.

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

Thank you, Madam Chair, for letting me know. My apologies to the interpreters.

We are making difficult decisions and important investments today to ensure that Pacific salmon are available for future generations. With many wild salmon stocks at historic lows, it is only with the dedication of all members of this chamber that we will be able to ensure that these populations are able to return to traditional levels of abundance.

Of course, wild salmon do not live in a bubble. They, like all of the ocean's creatures, are affected significantly by the cumulative effects of human activity. This means that we must fight not only for our salmon, but for biodiversity itself and for the health of the marine environment in its entirety. Ensuring a healthy ocean is essential for Canada's long-term economic prosperity and will play an important role as we build our economy following this global pandemic.

As fellow parliamentarians know, the United Nations has proclaimed a Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, beginning in 2021. Our government has pledged Canada's support, with major investments dedicated to the planning, promotion and coordination of activities related to this decade. Canada must be a leader in this space, as our nation has the longest coastline in the world.

Starting in 2015, as a nation, we had only protected less than 1% of our marine environment, which was completely unacceptable. We pledged to increase this to more than 10% by 2020. Thanks to the hard work of Canadians, we not only met this target but exceeded it. Canada has now protected approximately 14% of our marine environment, and we will get to 25% by 2025. This means that in 10 short years, we will have protected 25 times more ocean marine habitat than all governments before us since Confederation.

This is a significant achievement that all members of the House and all Canadians should be proud of. It is a major investment in the future of our country and the future of our planet. However, we intend to go further.

This summer, Canada joins the United Kingdom's Global Ocean Alliance to support the adoption of a global target of 30% marine conservation by 2030, which is anticipated to be a key pillar of next year's Convention on Biological Diversity's COP 15 meeting. We are also implementing the commitments we made during Canada's 2018 G7 presidency to shape international efforts to clean up the oceans, tackle oceans plastics and advance ocean observation.

We know that just like fighting climate change, protecting and restoring our ocean is an existential necessity. Canada needs to continue to take a leadership role on this and other global environmental issues. We will champion ocean science to help counter threats to ocean life and health, and we must advance a strategy to end illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. We do this not just for environmental necessity, but because growing the blue economy is a significant economic opportunity for the entire country.

New, sustainable technologies are going to present increasing opportunities to coastal communities. Our commitment to transition away from open net-pen fish farms on the west coast of this country speaks to that sustainable opportunity. British Columbians feel strongly about the health of our fish stocks, and they need to transition farms in a way that is workable, economically feasible and takes into account social impacts.

A change like this requires close collaboration with the Province of British Columbia, indigenous communities, industry and other stakeholders, and I am excited to help build this reasonable path. The timing of this transition is beneficial not only to our wild salmon stocks and marine biodiversity, but to opening our imaginations for what the future of aquaculture can look like in Canada.

Aquaculture goes far beyond salmon. I had the opportunity to visit an oyster farm in Prince Edward Island, which not only creates delicious oysters, but effectively cleans the oceans while doing it.

Companies and communities across Canada are already leading the world in aquaculture in areas that include fish, seaweed and shellfish. It is a core part of our blue economy growth strategy and strengthens the need for the legislative and economic certainty that a dedicated aquaculture act can provide, an act I expect we will be debating in the House in the next number of months. Such an act would bring clarity and transparency to Canadians as to how aquaculture will be managed in order to achieve responsible and sustainable growth.

Our waters provide immense opportunity, but I would regret it if I did not take some time to highlight the work of the men and women who patrol them, who respond to emergencies on them and who keep our economies moving through them despite thick ice and strong Canadian winters. Of course, I am referring to the brave men and women who serve in the Canadian Coast Guard.

Last year, our government announced the single-largest investment ever made to renew the Canadian Coast Guard fleet, with up to 18 new large ships, the construction of six new icebreakers and an additional $2 billion in investments for vessel life-extension maintenance and repair work for the existing fleet. These ships are being built through Canada's national shipbuilding strategy.

Our offshore fisheries science vessels were Canada's first-ever vessels purposely designed and built for vital offshore fisheries research science and monitoring. These vessels were constructed at Seaspan shipyards, a world leader in shipbuilding, whose facility happens to be in my own backyard. Many of my constituents are directly employed at Seaspan and my entire constituency, indeed the entire country, benefits from their world-class work.

We are ensuring that the Coast Guard has the safe, reliable and modern equipment needed to carry out important work, such as icebreaking operations, search and rescue, and environmental response, all while creating good jobs and economic opportunities that will extend across the country.

I value deeply the wealth of experience my fellow parliamentarians bring to the House. It is an honour to rise today and discuss some of the great work we are doing and even more so to express that we are doing this in collaboration with members on all sides of the House for the good of all Canadians and for the benefit, most important, of future generations.

As members know, Canada has the largest amount of coastline of any nation in the world. We are abundantly lucky to face three oceans, including the Pacific, the Atlantic and the Arctic. We know that despite them having different names, we all really share one giant ocean.

When the minister was first elected, Canada protected less than 1% of our oceans. Could the minister update us on how much is protected now and what the plan is for providing greater protections as we go forward?

[Bernadette Jordan, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries]

Madam Chair, when we were first elected in 2015, less than 1% of Canada's oceans were protected. We, as a government, made a commitment to ensure we were protecting the ocean for future generations. We wanted to ensure they were sustainable, that we could have a blue economy and grow that blue economy. We set a goal of 10% by 2020. We not only achieved that goal, we surpassed it. It is almost 14% of protected area now. I was very—

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

The hon. parliamentary secretary.

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

Madam Chair, the minister can add more to that if she would like, going forward.

We have heard many people speak to the importance of the green economy, when it comes to fighting climate change and growing our economy in a more sustainable way. The same opportunity is available with what the minister just mentioned, which is the blue economy. We know that if we do not make significant changes and take on ocean pollution, illegal and unregulated fishing and plastics, our future opportunity to grow our economy and to leverage Canada's tremendous natural assets will be, frankly, diminished.

Could the minister provide some insight into how she sees Canada's opportunity and role with regard to blue economy going forward?

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

Madam Chair, our government has placed significant emphasis on and made large investments in oceans over the last mandate, including the oceans protection plan.

I have been mandated by the Prime Minister to lead the development of a blue economy strategy in collaboration with the Minister of Transport, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, the Minister of Economic Development and the Minister of Natural Resources.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the global economic activity tied to oceans was expected to double to over $4 trillion by 2030. Canada is lagging behind in fully leveraging our blue economy. The strategy will help create good middle-class jobs and opportunities for coastal communities, while advancing our conservation objectives.

I know how important the blue economy is to our rural coastal communities. I am looking forward to working with all parliamentarians as we advance this strategy.

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

Madam Chair, does she have any thoughts about the record investments we have made in the Canadian Coast Guard?

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

Madam Chair, the Coast Guard is extremely important to our coastal communities, to our marine environment. We needed to ensure that the men and women of the Coast Guard had the tools they needed. That is why we are making significant investments in rebuilding our fleet and ensuring we have the ships we need.

Some of our ships are going to age out very soon. We need to ensure the new ships are available for the Coast Guard to continue to do the good work it does.

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

Madam Chair, I will use this very short time to thank all the members in the House today, as well as the minister, who are participating in this important debate. There is nothing more urgent in terms of things that need to be tackled than the protection and restoration of our oceans. If we do that as group, there will be abundant opportunities for future generations.

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

Resuming questions, the hon. member for Tobique—Mactaquac.

[Richard Bragdon, Conservative, Tobique—Mactaquac, NB]

Madam Chair, I will be splitting my time this evening with the hon. member for North Okanagan—Shuswap.

I am glad to hear that the minister has taken the time to read the Marshall decision since she was before our committee last week. It is one of the most important and foundational decisions as it pertains to fisheries.

Now that she has read the decision, could she outline for us the role of the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard as highlighted in that decision?

[Bernadette Jordan, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries]

Madam Chair, the Marshall decision is extremely important to ensuring we address the concerns of first nations. The Supreme Court decision was clear that they have a right to fish for a moderate livelihood.

The Government of Canada is working to ensure we implement that right. I am working with first nations communities on their fisheries plans right now. It is extremely important we move this forward. That is one of the things—

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

The hon. member for Tobique—Mactaquac.

[Richard Bragdon, Conservative, Tobique—Mactaquac, NB]

Madam Chair, why did the minister decide to pass the buck and ignore her responsibilities under the Marshall decision, which is the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans has the authority over the fishery, by appointing a third party mediator to do her job?

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

Madam Chair, I would like to be very clear that it is not a mediator. This is a special representative for whom a number of stakeholder groups had asked. We wanted to ensure we heard from all concerned parties to bridge gaps we had seen between the commercial harvesters and indigenous communities.

Mr. Surette is a well-respected member of his community. He has worked in the fishery before. He understands the issue. We are looking forward to seeing his interim report in December and his final report in March.

[Richard Bragdon, Conservative, Tobique—Mactaquac, NB]

Madam Chair, has the minister's personally appointed special representative read the Marshall decision?