Mr. Chair, the member certainly should review the rules around the committee of the whole and estimates, which actually provides any member either the opportunity to speak for the entire 15 minutes, asking questions, or to provide 10 minutes of a speech, followed by questions. I am sure the member knew that and he just forgot.
Canada's fish harvesters have responded to the growing demands for markets to demonstrate that the fish products come from sustainable fisheries. Across Canada, there are approximately 45 fisheries that are a part of 32 Marine Stewardship Council certifications, having demonstrated that they meet the criteria established by the global non-profit organization for sustainable fisheries. These include Atlantic fisheries such as northern and striped shrimp, offshore scallops, lobster, Arctic surf clams, snow crab, swordfish and groundfish, Atlantic halibut, cod, redfish and herring and Pacific fisheries such as salmon, Pacific halibut and more.
Moreover, 61% of all landings from Canada's fisheries come from fisheries in the MSC program. It is one of the highest percentages among major fishing nations. The long-term sustainability and success of the commercial fishing sector is directly linked to the health of fish stocks. Growing pressure on fish stocks and environmental impacts, such as the dual crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, pose current and future challenges for Canadian fisheries. Many harvesters will say that they can see the impacts of climate change out on the water. While some stocks in Canadian waters, such as lobster and halibut, appear to be benefiting from current environmental conditions, some commercially significant marine fish stocks in Canada are at low levels or at risk of decline.
With the modernization of the Fisheries Act in 2019, our government created new tools to continue to promote healthier marine ecosystems and more abundant fish stocks across the country. The Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard now has the legislative and regulatory mechanisms in place to protect existing fish and fish habitat, prioritize rebuilding depleted fish stocks and incorporate indigenous traditional knowledge into decision-making—