Brian Tobin

[Fisheries, March 23rd, 1995]

He was looking like a pickled pickerel.

[Fisheries, March 23rd, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for his question on pickerel. I know he did not want to talk about railways any more.

[Seal Hunt, March 22nd, 1995]

Mr. Speaker. I congratulate the member for raising the question. It is an important one. The measures he is asking for have already been undertaken for sometime now by the government.

It is clear not only in North American but around the world that the number one conservation issue before Canadians and before people who care about sustainable harvest and development is the question of turbot.

I am ironically pleased that Greenpeace is taking a chartered vessel out of St. John's harbour tonight to protest the Spanish fishing of turbot. That is the real conservation issue.

[Seal Hunt, March 22nd, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite would be well served to do what most Canadians are doing, including the Canadian sealers who live in the province of Quebec on the Magdalen Islands; namely to go about their business and participate in a modest and moderate seal hunt this year based on an adult animal.

There is no hunt for a white coat. There is no ship based hunt. It is a hunt by landsmen only. It is within the current quota that has been established for the last five years; in fact less than the quota of the last five years.

The way to respond to misinformation being propagated by a handful of people who see an opportunity to raise dollars for organizations that have been starved for those dollars for many years is simply to speak quietly but clearly the truth about this hunt.

[Fisheries, March 22nd, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, the line is drawn in the water. It is approximately what is referred to as the 1,000 metre line on a NAFO map. The Spanish vessels know exactly where it is. It is the area where most of the fishing activity has gone on.

A CP wire story has just come into the House. I received a copy and sent a copy to the Prime Minister as he sat down from answering the first question. It says the president of the European Union is indicating they are prepared to propose a series of new measures in order to ensure this fishery is controlled effectively. It goes on to say the president of the EU is prepared to consider figures, quota-wise, lower than the autonomous quota they have already set.

These are indications in the right direction; these are steps in the right direction. We would like to see this matter resolved by discussion. We have said that from day one. We do not want to see negotiations, which have gone on for a number of days now, trashed because a handful of captains want them trashed. It is not in their interest to have effective enforcement measures, to have lower and reasonable quotas that will sustain the stock.

We are waiting to see what comes out of these next days of discussion. Canada will stand firm for conservation.

[Fisheries, March 15th, 1995]

The significance of the 80-millimetre mesh is that it is some 15 millimetres smaller than the official NAFO approved mesh size for this species. Therefore the animals being caught in the mesh are far smaller. They are juveniles. They are immature. They are far smaller than what should be caught if we are to have a sustainable fishery.

[Fisheries, March 15th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, you want me to come right to the point and I shall.

[Fisheries, March 15th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question. The matter is important to Atlantic Canadians and obviously important to people right across the country, given the support the Reform Party has given to the government in pursuit of the conservation of the fishery.

It is extraordinary to see the Reform Party, the New Democratic Party-and I should acknowledge the Conservative Party-and the Leader of the Official Opposition endorse unanimously the conservation measure in the House on behalf of Canadians everywhere. It is a great moment for Canada. I acknowledge the support of the parties opposite.

However, let me in answering the question acknowledge the tremendous leadership of the greatest Prime Minister the country has ever had in standing up for the country.

[Fisheries, March 15th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, this is a good question. Canada has made it clear since the beginning of this difficulty between Canada and the EU that we will not negotiate while fish are being caught.

I was pleased to note yesterday we had four or five days in a row of no fishing on the nose and tail of the Grand Banks. For a few hours last night one vessel did cross over into the area of the nose but I can report that this morning it had pulled back again.

For the moment, as we speak here in this Chamber, there are no vessels on the nose and tail. Bond has been posted on this particular fishing vessel. It will sail out of harbour. I should point out it will sail out without a net, without the ability to fish. The net was cut.

I can also report, and I know the Leader of the Opposition will be happy to hear this, that Canadian technology in global positioning systems-I am advertising now to the planet-were successful in allowing us to find and to retrieve today the net from the Estai .

The net that has been retrieved bears manufacturer markings identical to that on part of the equipment still left on the Estai . The fish that were pulled out of the water-we videotaped this-were still kicking. They were alive. This is the net recently cut. The net had a 115 millimetre mesh, which is smaller than the 130 millimetre required by NAFO. In addition, the net in question had an 80 millimetre liner in the net.

[Fisheries, March 15th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question.

I want to report to him that this morning the master, or the owner, of the Estai posted bond in the order of $500,000 against his vessel. This is in addition to the $8,000 bail posted against the captain of the vessel a day or two before.

This is in keeping with the procedures of the Canadian judicial system, procedures that have been followed in similar circumstances with other vessels of similar size, shape and value.

We are very pleased to see that a bond has been posted. As a result the vessel and crew are free to leave at any time.

In addition to the bond being posted, some 130 tonnes of product have been removed from the vessel and is being held by the crown as evidence. It will be held in a storage facility and will be disposed of by the court at the end of the judicial proceedings.

There has been no negotiation, nor should there be in terms of the judicial proceedings themselves. I know the hon. Leader of the Opposition would agree with this. The proceedings have been conducted as they ought to be by the court in the normal manner.

Now that both a bond has been posted and there is no fishing on the nose and tail of the Grand Banks, this may well be an opportunity for talks. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Prime Minister have given instructions to a negotiating team in Brussels. We shall see.