Mr. Speaker, the details will be provided to the hon. member and to all other members and fishers by the end of the month.
House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2004, with 35% of the vote.
Fisheries May 26th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, the details will be provided to the hon. member and to all other members and fishers by the end of the month.
Fisheries May 12th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, according to departmental principles and policies, where there is a increase in the shrimp population in the northern zone, these shrimp are made available to fishers in contiguous fishing areas; if the fishers are further away and in another province, distant from that area, they do not get the TAC.
That is very clear, very simple, and the fishers are well aware of it.
Fisheries May 12th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should be careful about using the term insanity.
We have to recognize that if a mortally wounded grey whale comes into Canadian waters, Canadians would want to have that animal humanely dispatched. That is a situation where I delegated my authority to the local fisheries officers so it could be done on the occasion that it occurs.
Let me repeat. There is no valid licence to any American group to kill a whale in Canadian waters, and I challenge him to table that piece of paper.
Fisheries And Oceans May 12th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, as usual the hon. member is quite incorrect. No permit has been issued for the killing of whale in Canadian waters.
Questions On The Order Paper May 10th, 1999
The $100 million program to rebuild west coast salmon habitat announced June 19, 1998 was part of a $400 million comprehensive program to rebuild the resource, restructure the fishery, and help people and communities adjust to the changing fishery. That same day the government announced $730 million for restructuring and adjustment measures for the Atlantic groundfish fishery.
While the west and east coast initiatives are both aimed at ensuring stable sustainable fisheries, they have been individually tailored due to the differences in the nature of the fisheries issues on each coast. On the west coast the major commercial fishery, salmon, is particularly dependent on healthy and productive fish habitat in freshwater streams which are more susceptible to the impacts of human development. For this reason a large portion of the west coast program is devoted to habitat conservation and enhancement. On the east coast, production for habitat is not a key limiting factor with respect to groundfish fisheries. As a result the adjustment measures are focused on reducing industry capacity trough licences retirement; adjusment measures to help current and former TAGS, The Atlantic Groundfish Strategy, recipients become self-employed, get work experience, develop new skills or relocate; extra help for community and regional economic development, to be provided to Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency for co-operative initiatives with provinces and other partners; and a cost shared early retirement program.
On July 17, 1998, the government announced $1.16 million in funding to support volunteer groups in their efforts to improve and restore local waterways. The funding is to be provided under the Canada-Nova Scotia co-operation agreement on economic diversification.
Fisheries And Oceans May 7th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 109, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, copies of the government's response to the seventh and eighth reports of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, entitled “The Nunavut Report” and “The Prince Edward Island Report”.
I thank the committee members and chair for the time and effort they put into preparing these reports, and I am sure that the response will be well received.
Fisheries May 7th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is correct at least in reference to the importance of the inland fishery. Freshwater fish are a very important part of our exports and, indeed, a very important part of the economy of the small communities of the northern prairie provinces.
Where he is incorrect is to say that we have not followed up and done everything we can to encourage the maximum return to the fishermen. Breaking up the Freshwater Fish Marketing Board is very similar to the arguments which we hear in the House about breaking up the wheat board. If the New Democratic Party wants to go on record as being against the wheat board and the Freshwater Fish Marketing Board, let it say so clearly. We think that both serve a useful purpose.
Fisheries May 7th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, first, I did consult with the minister of fisheries of the province of Quebec.
Second, the increase in the value of landings in the province of Quebec between 1989 and the year for which I have figures, 1997, was higher in Quebec than in any other province in Atlantic Canada. The Quebec fishermen are in fact, in terms of increase in their landings, getting more money than those of any other province.
My final point is that when it comes to temporary shrimp licences we allocate on the basis of adjacency and the Quebec fishers are not adjacent to the Labrador and Newfoundland shrimp.
Fisheries April 30th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, these are two very different fisheries, the northern shrimp off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador and the shellfish off the southern coast of Nova Scotia. They are two quite different fisheries.
We have taken to heart the auditor general's words with respect to shellfish. However, it is literally impossible to have a policeman on every boat, which is necessary if we are to prevent any possible cheating by fishermen.
What is necessary is a higher level of co-operation between fishermen and a higher level of self-enforcement within the fleet. Those are ways that we can in fact make progress.
Questions On The Order Paper April 26th, 1999
In the Gladstone decision the Supreme Court of Canada ordered a new trial to consider whether the limitations imposed on the Heiltsuk were justified, not to “establish the extent of licences that ought to be available” to the Heiltsuk First Nation.
(a) Spawn-on-kelp licences: Existing spawn-on-kelp licences were not purchased and transferred to the Heiltsuk First Nation because of the high cost of spawn-on-kelp licences and because constraints on the allocation transfer program do not alllow for sufficient capacity to be retired from the spawn-on-kelp licence category. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans, DFO, facilitated the voluntary retirement of herring gillnet licences from the commercial fishing fleet to offset harvesting capacity resulting from the addition of new communal spawn-on-kelp licences in accordance with departmental policy.
(b), (c), (f) and (g) Economic and market impact: An economic/market assessment regarding spawn-on-kelp was conducted in 1997. The spawn-on-kelp technical working group has not conducted a formal review, but the issue has been discussed with industry participants. The 1997 study determined that the state of the Japanese economy is a critical factor in the demand for spawn-on-kelp, particularly Japanese income levels and exchange rates. The study also found that a previous increase in the number of licences had a temporary effect on prices, and therefore it recommended that future quantity changes should be gradual. The situation has been monitored since then, but no formal review of the economic or market impact has been conducted, nor have there been recommendations.
In retiring herring gillnet licences and creating communal spawn-on-kelp licences, the objective is to keep overall harvest effort on herring stocks constant. The management plans reflect changes to the number of herring gillnet and spawn-on-kelp licences.
(d) and (e) Biological impact: Biological assessments of B.C. herring stocks are conducted every year. The herring gillnet, seine and spawn-on-kelp fisheries are monitored throughout the fishing season. Assessments based on in-season monitoring and other factors are used to determine the total allowable catch and herring management plans for subsequent years. The spawn-on-kelp technical working group did not do a formal review, but the issue was discussed and industry participants provided advice.
The harvest of macrocystis kelp used in spawn-on-kelp operations is carried out under the authority the B.C. ministry of fisheries. The B.C. ministry issues marine plant harvest licences, which include licence conditions on the area and quantity of kelp that may be harvested.
(h) The Supreme Court of Canada, in the Gladstone decision, 1996, found that the Heiltsuk tribal council had an unextinguished aboriginal right to trade herring spawn-on-kelp on a commercial basis. While the court did not quantify that right, some guidance was provided on matters that might be considered to determine whether the external limitations were justified. As part of the aboriginal fisheries strategy, AFS, discussions, DFO then consulted with the Heiltsuk on the number of licences to be issued for the 1997 and 1998 seasons. The minister considered the impact of additional licences on existing licence holders. Some commercial harvesting licences have been removed from the fishery. The spawn-on-kelp fishery is a limited entry fishery, which is open only to those who hold a licence. Public access has not changed as a result of the issuance of licences to the Heiltsuk tribal council.
Question No. 211—