Debates of May 30th, 2022

Department of Fisheries and Oceans—Main Estimates 2022-23

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

Mr. Chair, how many licences is the minister committed to buying back to ensure that there is no net loss of traps and that the “willing buyer, willing seller” policy is adhered to?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Chair, the member has correctly talked about our “willing buyer, willing seller” policy. The volume of traps that was allocated to the first nations is the volume that we will be buying back, and bids are currently being accepted.

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

Mr. Chair, it has been a year since the Department of Fisheries and Oceans announced the $647-million Pacific salmon strategy initiative. In that time, there has been really no genuine engagement with first nations. The Nuu-chah-nulth nations especially are saying to me that to implement the PSSI on the west coast of Vancouver Island, they need to be engaged clearly. Indeed, all the evidence to date points to the PSSI as yet another example of the department directing long-awaited funding toward internal priorities instead of working with first nations to decide how best to allocate limited resources. Will the minister direct her staff to immediately reach out to the Nuu-chah-nulth nations to establish a process for a jointly managed implementation of the PSSI on the west coast of Vancouver Island?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Chair, one of the key pillars of the PSSI is collaboration. On the one hand we are being told we are not moving quickly enough, but on the other hand we are very committed to collaborating with indigenous communities and others, and that work is ongoing.

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

Mr. Chair, how will the minister ensure that the PSSI Pacific salmon commercial licence retirement program supports coastal communities and owner-operator fishers, avoids further corporate consolidation of the fishing fleet and holds industry participants responsible for supporting sustainable harvest transformation?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Chair, harvest transformation is one of the key pillars of the Pacific salmon initiative. That means we will be consulting. We will be working with harvesters and working with industry, again on a “willing buyer, willing seller” basis.

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

Mr. Chair, the installation of intensive subtidal geoduck aquaculture is proposed for the herring spawning grounds in Lambert Channel which, according to Department of Fisheries and Oceans records, are the source of 38% of all the herring spawn that has ever occurred on the B.C. coast and would support the whole Strait of Georgia marine ecosystem.

Will the minister put the protection of the spawning habitat of this keystone species ahead of the installation of industrial aquaculture and save it from the inevitable cumulative damage that would follow?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Chair, I am interested in more details on the specific facility that the member is referring to, but I want to say that conservation is our bottom line. It is our top priority.

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

Mr. Chair, will the minister commit to taking a whole-of-ecosystem management-based approach? She has heard me talk about this endlessly, because we see harvests of some species impacting other species. Will she gear her department to take a whole-of-ecosystem management approach, especially with the blue economy?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Chair, that certainly is our approach and that is something that we will be deepening.

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

Mr. Chair, does the minister support owner-operator?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Chair, yes I do.

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

Mr. Chair, if so, is its compliance being monitored?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Chair, yes it is.

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

Mr. Chair, will the minister tell us how many cases are under review then of those that are in violation?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Chair, we will get a number for the member.

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

Mr. Chair, when will the minister share what information will be public? She says she will get that to me. When will she get that to me?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Chair, I will consult with my officials and we will give the member a time when we can deliver it.

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

Mr. Chair, does the minister intend to include owner-operators in the blue economy strategy?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Chair, it will be a very comprehensive strategy and I would be very surprised if it were not included.

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

Mr. Chair, that is not a commitment. I am hoping the minister can commit to that.

In terms of reconciliation, how long does the department intend to exclusively continue using the fishery to satisfy treaty rights?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Chair, I missed some of the words the member said.

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

Mr. Chair, how long does the department intend to exclusively continue to use the fisheries to satisfy treaty rights?

I have spoken to the minister repeatedly, asking her to ask the minister of CIRNAC to supply funds for reconciliation so that reconciliation does not fall on the backs of a small group of fishers and it is shared by all Canadians. Maybe she can speak to that.

We have talked about it in relation to the west coast crab fishers. Maybe she can talk about whether she has had this conversation with the minister of CIRNAC.

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Chair, we do get dollars for reconciliation. We have a large pot of money in these estimates that is for purchasing the boats, the gear and the licences for our “willing buyer, willing seller” policy.

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

Mr. Chair, we have not seen the numbers in the budget dedicated and committed to that, but we are encouraged to hear that, especially when we are asking the minister to get to the table immediately with the crab fishers I mentioned.

Does the department fully understand the social and economic considerations for all parties when access is being sought?