Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to table this petition today signed by many independent fish harvesters on Vancouver Island and coastal British Columbia who are concerned about the concentration of foreign ownership of fishing quota. Only in British Columbia is this allowed.
The petitioners highlight that DFO's mandate includes promoting the stability and economic viability of fishing operations; that Canadian owner-operator fish harvesters are increasingly displaced by foreign acquisition of Canada's commercial fishing licences and quotas; that Canada does not currently have any limitation on foreign ownership of commercial fishing licences and quotas in the Pacific region; that Canada does not record or track citizenship within transactions of fishing licences and quotas; and that the absence of restrictions on foreign ownership on commercial fishing licences and quotas damages the economic viability of Canadian-owned fishing operations, harvesters and their families, and coastal communities.
The foreign ownership of commercial fishing access compromises domestic food security and is directly linked to economic losses of domestic fish processing and processing jobs here in Canada. They are calling on the Government of Canada to immediately ban any further transfer of Canadian commercial fishing licences and quotas to foreign ownership or foreign beneficial interest.