Debates of Nov. 24th, 2020

Fisheries and Oceans—Main Estimates, 2020-21

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

Madam Chair, we are continuing to work on a west coast licensing review through Fisheries and Oceans Canada. We have contracted a comparative analysis of Atlantic and Pacific commercial fishing policies and regulations, and are initiating a review of the existing foreign ownership.

There is a lot of work to be done here, but that work is ongoing and we are committed to making sure that we address these concerns.

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

Madam Chair, we have a wild salmon crisis going on in British Columbia. In fact, we saw the lowest return of the Fraser River sockeye, which is the largest salmon-bearing river in the world, this year, with less than 300,000 returning sockeye at a run that normally had four million. This is following last year, which was the lowest return in recorded history.

The minister has talked about her commitment to it, but does she actually believe that her current commitment of funds and resources is enough to deal with this issue?

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

Madam Chair, the protection of wild Pacific salmon is a priority for the government. We sympathize with communities that have been impacted by the salmon harvesting. We know there is a lot to do. We have been investing in habitat restoration. We have invested in Big Bar.

We are making sure that we are working with community groups, with indigenous communities and with the B.C. government to do everything we possibly can to protect the wild Pacific salmon. However, it is not enough to just protect them. We need to make sure that we are doing everything we can to grow those fish as well. We want to see them come back to an abundance. We are going to continue to do that.

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

Madam Chair, Canada spends a fraction of what our neighbours in the United States spend on wild salmon management and recovery. We have a collective responsibility to invest in salmon now, so that the species can be recovered before it is too late.

Could the minister commit to significant new and ongoing investments in the recovery of wild salmon populations and management for future generations?

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

Madam Chair, I agree with my colleague across the way. We need to do everything possible in order to address the crisis that wild Pacific salmon are in right now. That is why we made significant investments through the B.C. SRIF program. It is why we have pulled out all the stops when it comes to Big Bar. It is why we continue to work with indigenous communities, with the B.C. government, with stakeholders and with industry to find the best path forward.

There is no one easy solution to this. We are working to make sure that we are hearing from everybody and doing everything we can to protect the fish.

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

Madam Chair, here is a simple question. Will the minister provide further and new resources to deal with the wild salmon emergency?

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

Madam Chair, we are continuing to work with our partners to make sure that we are addressing the concern of wild Pacific salmon. We know there is a lot to be done. We will continue that work. We will not rest until we make sure that the Pacific salmon grow and come back to where they should be.

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

Madam Chair, will the minister commit to a coordinated and co-operative wild salmon recovery plan, something which DFO has not clearly been successful doing so far?

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

Madam Chair, wild Pacific salmon are a priority for our government. We are working diligently on a number of different measures to address the steep declines in the Pacific salmon population. That includes everything from habitat restoration to working with indigenous communities, commercial harvesters and recreational fishers.

We are not stopping. We are going to continue to work to make sure that we address this ongoing concern.

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

Madam Chair, I will tell colleagues how it is working in terms of the significant investments. The salmon enhancement program is a lifeline for hatcheries and habitat restoration. It has not seen any funding increase in over a decade. In fact, the Tofino hatchery where I live is getting $8,000 a year. They will work on a river, bring it back, and then they will go to another river and bring it back. They will have to go back to the other river because it has crashed. They are not getting the support they need.

Will the minister commit to a significant and permanent increase to the salmon enhancement program? If not, why?

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

Madam Chair, the member opposite and I are actually on the same page. We know there is a lot that needs to be done when it comes to restoring wild Pacific salmon. We are working with communities. We will work with the province and with indigenous people on a coordinated plan. That is what we are doing.

We have had significant investments in the B.C. SRIF program. We support the salmon enhancement program. We are working with stakeholder groups to find out what the best path forward is. Those are all initiatives that we have undertaken as a government. We are committed to—

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

The hon. member for Courtenay—Alberni.

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

Madam Chair, we are clearly not on the same page because not enough money is flowing. I just keep reminding the minister about the salmon enhancement program and the lack of investments in restoration and enhancement. Right now we need $500 million just to save the Fraser, never mind the rest of the coast in the next five years. We cannot get an answer.

Will she commit more money, yes or no?

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

Madam Chair, we will continue to work with our partners to make sure we have a coordinated approach to the restoration of the wild Pacific salmon. This is extremely important to us as a government. We are continuing the important work that is at Big Bar to restore the national fish passage there. We continue to work with first nations, with industry and with stakeholders to support the recovery of wild salmon.

There is no one easy solution to this. We are taking—

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

The hon. member for Courtenay—Alberni.

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

Madam Chair, the resources are inadequate.

With respect to the Discovery Islands fish farms, which we know were identified in Cohen recommendation 19, they were supposed to be moved by the end of September this fall if they were threatening obviously juvenile migrating wild salmon, which is happening.

Were the current farm-level diagnoses for disease and pathogens used in the minister's current determination of less than minimal harm to wild sockeye stocks?

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

Madam Chair, our government is committed to an area-based management approach to aquaculture, and these particular farms may not be the best fit for the location or for their adjacency to first nations communities. That is why we are finalizing formal consultations with the local communities and each first nation on the Discovery Islands as to whether those licences will be renewed. I will say that the first nations communities there recognized how important it was, but also told us—

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

The hon. member for Courtenay—Alberni.

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

Madam Chair, is it reasonable to assume that the DFO document, “A fishery decision-making framework incorporating the precautionary approach”, is the default policy when it comes to decision-making related to fish farms?

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

Madam Chair, I would like to finish my comments on the Discovery Islands. What I thought was very important was that we heard directly from first nations communities that we could not make unilateral decisions without consulting with them before we made decisions on the Discovery Islands fish farms. That is one of the reasons we are having those conversations now. I have met with first nations chiefs directly on this issue. We know that we are taking an area-based management approach to aquaculture. We are going to continue to do the hard work that needs to be done.

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

Madam Chair, so she means she is not using that document.

Is the government on track to keep its election promise to remove open-net fish farms from coastal B.C. by 2025?

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

Madam Chair, our government is committed to developing and delivering on concrete solutions to transition open-net farms. Recently, we announced the parliamentary secretary, the member for Burnaby North—Seymour, as the lead on engagements on this important initiative. This is a change that requires close relationships and collaboration with the Province of British Columbia, with indigenous people, with communities, with industries and with other stakeholders to ensure that the transition is workable. We are committed to this, and we are going to continue to work on it to make sure that we get it done.

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

Madam Chair, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans negotiators are proposing a new approach for first nations to increase their food, social and ceremonial access. The proposed approach goes by the name “single allocation” and requires first nations to purchase fishing access to increase their FSC access. First nations can use either government funding provided for this purpose or their own revenue.

Can the minister explain to first nations why this single allocation mandate was developed without any consultation with first nations in British Columbia?

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

Madam Chair, first nations have a right to fish for food, social and ceremonial reasons. We recognize that. We are going to make sure they have these rights. We take this as a priority, but conservation has to take top priority over everything.

Through the aboriginal fishing strategy, DFO and first nations seek to negotiate mutually acceptable FSC fisheries agreements. These agreements contain provisions related to the amounts that may be fished for FSC purposes, species, gear, area and other factors—

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

The hon. member for Courtenay—Alberni.