Bernadette Jordan

[Business of Supply, November 24th, 2020]

Madam Chair, I have already met with a number of first nations chiefs in Manitoba. We will continue to have those ongoing discussions. Reconciliation is extremely important to the government, and we know there is a lot to be done.

With regard to the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation, this is one of the issues we have spoken about. We will continue to have those discussions. We know it is important for indigenous communities to market their fish. We will continue to work with them to make sure we find the best path forward.

[Business of Supply, November 24th, 2020]

Madam Chair, freshwater fisheries are an extremely important part of fisheries in Canada. That is one of the reasons we made sure that freshwater fishers were eligible for the fish harvester benefit and grant program. We are making sure that we work with the provinces, which regulate the inland fisheries. We will work with them to make sure the fisheries are monitored and that they have access to the same programs as our coastal fisheries.

Freshwater fisheries are extremely important in Canada. We know that. That is one of the reasons we are working with the provinces to make sure they have the supports they need during the COVID-19 pandemic.

[Business of Supply, November 24th, 2020]

Madam Chair, DFO employs more than 2,000 scientists who research and monitor our oceans. Under the previous government, significant cuts were made to DFO science. We have reinvested to make sure we are making our decisions based on science. We have invested in over 300 new science positions.

We are going to make decisions based on science. It is extremely important to have the right people in those jobs. We are committed to making sure that science is our number one priority when we are looking at this.

[Business of Supply, November 24th, 2020]

Madam Chair, during the 2018 G7 presidency, Canada spearheaded the Charlevoix blueprint for healthy oceans, seas and resilient coastal communities. We have invested $8.3 million in our ghost gear fund. This is a very popular initiative that sees harvesters collecting gear out of the ocean. We have collected a great deal of it over the last little while. We know there is more to be done and we will continue to make sure that there are investments to address this program.

[Business of Supply, November 24th, 2020]

Madam Chair, the government moved quickly to make sure that we were there to support fish harvesters with the fish harvester benefit and grant program. This was almost a half a billion dollar program. It was one of the largest single investments in the fisheries since the cod moratorium.

It was extremely important for us to make sure that harvesters had the access they needed to make tough business decisions on a season that saw the collapse of export markets and the closure of restaurants. We needed to make sure that fish harvesters were able to make the right decisions about whether or not they were going to fish this year.

The money that was invested definitely helped the industry. We are excited to see that there has been a good season for the harvesters this year.

[Business of Supply, November 24th, 2020]

Madam Chair, since 2016, we have announced over $484 million in new funding for small craft harbours. This is on top of the program's ongoing regular budget of $90 million. In total, this represents more than 800 projects.

We know how important small craft harbours are to our rural coastal communities. It is the infrastructure that drives our fishing sector. We need to make sure that it is safe, that it is reliable and that it is built to withstand climate change. We are seeing a lot of small craft harbours that have been challenged because of storm surges. We need to make sure that we are building resilient infrastructure. That is one of the reasons we are making significant investments in small craft harbours.

[Business of Supply, November 24th, 2020]

Madam Chair, as I have said, I am not adverse to mark-selective fisheries. We just need to make sure that, as we go forward, we are doing it in the right way to make sure that we are protecting the chinook salmon.

These measures are difficult. We know the anglers want a more robust fishery. We want that for them. We are also carefully considering requests for a mark-selective fishery of chinook and mark-selective fishery opportunities. Further consultations are planned, and we seek their input on the benefits and how we can best go forward with this.

[Business of Supply, November 24th, 2020]

Madam Chair, in speaking with the sport fishers in B.C. as well as with environmental organizations, I agree how the MSF can offer potential benefits for fisheries, and I tend to agree with them. However, it is incumbent on me, as the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, to balance this with the full understanding of the issue and the potential resource requirements needed to mitigate all of the challenges and concerns.

We need to make sure that we are protecting the wild Pacific salmon, but we know that there can be a path forward with regard to a mark selective fishery and we are working diligently to try to find that path forward.

[Business of Supply, November 24th, 2020]

Madam Chair, there are valid concerns that need to be thoroughly understood. For instance, the mark-selective fisheries will still encounter wild chinook. We need to make sure that the mortality of stocks of concern are accounted for as we move forward with an MSF, so that they do not adversely impact the wild stocks.

We know that this is an important initiative for recreational fishers. We want to work with them to find the best ways forward, but we know that to do this work, there need to be a lot more consultations done. The department is currently conducting a pilot project with regard to the hatchery chinook in conjunction with the project exploring the applications of new stock assessments. These are all things that have to be done as we move forward. It is extremely important for recreational fishers, but we have to make sure that we protect the wild Pacific salmon stocks.

[Business of Supply, November 24th, 2020]

Madam Chair, as I have said a number of times tonight, the mark selective fishery is one possible option that can be explored in terms of fish retention, while reducing impacts on wild salmon. I am not adverse to a mark selective fishery. I want to make sure that as we go forward, we are doing it in the right way.

There are challenges with regard to the impacts that hatchery fish have on the wild population. We need to make sure that we have the right data. We need to make sure that we have the right measures in place to go forward with a mark selective fishery—