Lawrence O'Brien

[Blood Samples Act, May 16th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to talk today on behalf of the Department and Fisheries and Oceans' plan for continuing support of Atlantic salmon conservation.

At one time Fisheries and Oceans Canada operated three mainland Nova Scotia hatcheries principally to enhance Atlantic salmon stocks for aboriginal and recreational fisheries. In October 1997 DFO negotiated an operational agreement and divested these hatcheries to Salmon Care, a not for profit group dedicated to the conservation and sustainable use of Atlantic salmon.

DFO has now consolidated the following programs: the Atlantic Salmon live gene bank, which is a program to maintain inner Bay of Fundy Atlantic salmon and potentially acid rain impacted Atlantic salmon stocks; the rearing of salmon to stock acid impacted rivers; the rearing of the endangered Atlantic whitefish; and support for the integrated Atlantic salmon fisheries management plan.

DFO is currently looking for resources to maintain the facilities at Mersey and Coldbrook for their use for Atlantic salmon and Atlantic whitefish conservation.

[Atlantic Technology Centre, May 4th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, this week is Canada's Information Technology Week. The purpose of Information Technology Week is the celebration of achievements in information and communications technology.

It is vital in today's economy to provide opportunities for the development of skills for a knowledge based economy and to provide the infrastructure to attract information technology investment.

I am pleased to announce that with partial funding from federal programs, construction will begin this spring on the Atlantic Technology Centre in Charlottetown.

This new centre will house office space, an information technology education and training academy, a business incubator, research labs, multimedia facilities, smart boardrooms and an exhibition area. It is an innovative new approach that will attract investment and encourage growth in the emerging information technology sector.

The Government of Canada is committed to ensuring that Canada remains a leader in information technology.

[Curling, May 2nd, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, today I recognize the achievements of Brad Gushue, Mark Nichols, Brent Hamilton, Mike Adam, Jamie Korab and coach Jeff Thomas, the Canadian junior men's curling champions who went on to win the world junior men's curling championship in Ogden, Utah, on March 25.

Mark and Mike are from my Labrador riding. They will be showing their teammates a warm Labrador welcome on their victory tour this week. I congratulate them on a fine performance and extend to them my best wishes on behalf of all Labradorians.

Another Labrador west foursome, Keith Ryan, Garry Pinsent, Mike Ryan and Dennis Langdon, represented Newfoundland and Labrador at this year's senior men's brier.

Labrador west and the Carol Curling Club have always been hot spots for cool winter sports. With spirit and determination, our teams have overcome the distance and expense involved in competing at provincial, national and international levels.

On behalf of all members, I extend my congratulations to the boys for their world class curling achievements.

[Education, March 28th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the member has raised a question concerning licence requirements under the Marshall process.

As part of the response to the Marshall decision in the Supreme Court of Canada, the government entered into a fisheries access program on the recommendations of the standing committee and at the request of the fishing industry.

The program involves the voluntary retirement of existing commercial fishing licences and/or vessels and gear. The program facilitates the voluntary retirement of commercial licences and the issuance of licences to eligible aboriginal groups in a manner that does not add to the existing fishing effort on the resource.

The recently announced longer term Marshall process has as one of its components a continuation of the licence retirement program. The member has expressed concern over lost jobs for deckhands and fish plant workers who were displaced when licence holders retired their licences under the Marshall program.

The government is fully aware of these concerns. Unemployment is not just an economic issue. It also has very real emotional impacts for individual people and the communities they live in. The federal and provincial governments of Canada understand the implications of losing jobs.

I wish to say before my time expires that the important point is that in addition to working with other departments, particularly HRDC, the minister spoke to his counterpart in the New Brunswick government, the Hon. Paul Robichaud, on the issue of crab and lobster crew members displaced as a result of licence retirement under the Marshall program.

As a result, the federal-provincial committee on snow crab crew members has been established. The committee will meet for the first time on March 20.

[Education, March 28th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member has raised a question about requests from the province of Quebec for additional access to northern shrimp, particularly an allocation of 6,000 tonnes in this year's fishery. He raised his question against the backdrop of last year's debate over the decision to provide access to northern shrimp to fisheries interests from P.E.I.

The allocation of a valuable, abundant common property resource is always controversial. The issue is likely to be controversial again in 2001. However in making a decision for 2001 the minister will be guided, as he was last year, first by science and second by input from stakeholders.

The scientific advice last year for northern shrimp stock off the east coast of Newfoundland and Labrador was very clear. It indicated that the stock was in good shape with a very high and stable abundance of shrimp. This advice was considered by fisheries managers, industry stakeholders and provincial representatives at the annual northern shrimp advisory committee.

After careful consideration of all views and consistent with the scientific advice, the minister concluded that a quota of 3,000 tonnes was warranted. This enabled harvesters to take advantage of the high abundance while it was available. He also concluded that assignment of some of the increase to non-adjacent fisheries was warranted.

In conclusion, I say to the hon. member that the minister will await the recommendations of the report of an independent panel examining access criteria. That report is expected in June. As always, consideration for the well-being of the fishery resource, the need for a sustainable fishery and the principle of fairness and adjacency will be considered.

[Division No. 19, March 20th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to be recorded as voting no.

[Aquaculture, March 2nd, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to say to the hon. member that the question of aquaculture is an important issue for Canada and certainly for all Canadians.

I reiterate that I will give a longer response next week. We will take this under advisement and report next week to the member.

[Fisheries, March 2nd, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the northern shrimp issue has been debated and has taken on a lot of profile. It is basically off the riding of Labrador which I represent.

The minister has had a number of requests relating to northern shrimp, not only for this year but for previous years. We are looking at the shrimp industry. We are reviewing with industry. At a future date we will make a decision on shrimp conducive to the way we have done policy in the past.

[Fisheries, March 2nd, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the Marshall issue is one that is well known to the House. As the hon. member well knows, we have been consulting with the industry through our associate federal representative. We will continue to consult with the industry.

I can tell the hon. member that the issue, as it relates to the Marshall judgment, is one of hunting, fishing and gathering, and we have been following suit. We already have a number of agreements in place, 88% with the first nations.

[Tax On Tools, February 28th, 2001]

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to speak today about the government's commitments to safety on the water.

Before I continue, I wish to state that it is unfortunate that the automobile accident in Richmond, British Columbia, resulted in a death on February 18. My heartfelt sympathies go out to the Sandhu family on this tragic accident.

Rescue diving was initiated in the Canadian coast guard as a two year pilot project in 1995. The project was undertaken to determine the effectiveness of rescue diving as a complement to coast guard search and rescue. The pilot project was meant to gather necessary information.

Rescue diving is not a core mandate of the coast guard. However, the coast guard is not a static organization. It continuously reviews all aspects of its services to Canadians as part of the government's commitment to safety. This includes establishing projects as necessary to ensure that the coast guard has all the facts before recommending changes to the government.

In 1997, after two years of operating the rescue diving pilot project, the project was extended in order to collect further information. The coast guard did not have sufficient information to determine the effectiveness of providing a rescue diving capability.

In November 2000, after reviewing the information spanning a six year period, the coast guard, in light of the low demand and low effectiveness of rescue diving and out of concern for the safety of divers engaged in the very high risk operations in these activities, suspended the pilot project.

Ending a pilot project that is well known is a difficult decision. The dedication of the professional specialists in this project is well known. We acknowledge that. Let us not forget that this was a pilot project. It is not the mandate of coast guard to deliver underwater rescue services. It is noteworthy that the United States coast guard and the British royal navy terminated their programs for the same reasons that prompted our decision.

As members are aware, on February 21, 2001, the minister announced an independent review of the February 18 accident and of the basis of the decision to terminate the Sea Island rescue diving pilot project. Until this review is complete, and a final decision is announced, the rescue diving project will remain suspended.