House of Commons photoLost her last election, in 2021, with 37% of the vote.
Business of Supply November 24th, 2020
Madam Chair, the at-risk Fraser River chinook salmon stocks face a number of significant challenges. Their road to recovery requires a long-term view and close collaboration with first nations, as well as with all stakeholders in the province.
We have made significant management measures, introduced in 2019, to protect the chinook. They were difficult but they were necessary. These decisions were made to continue and strengthen these conservation measures in 2020—
Business of Supply November 24th, 2020
Madam Chair, our government acknowledges that it has been a real challenge for B.C. with regard to Pacific salmon fishery participants, including the anglers. Conservation-based fishery management measures continue. We need to make sure that we are looking forward to future years given the poor status of the stocks. That is one of the reasons these decisions were made. We know that it is difficult, but we are continuing to work to make sure that we can grow the stocks. We are investing in—
Business of Supply November 24th, 2020
Madam Chair, it was our government that actually enshrined owner-operator in legislation. It was our government that put owner-operator in the Fisheries Act as legislation. This is something we are committed to, and we will continue to be committed to it. Regulations are ongoing and we will make sure that this is—
Business of Supply November 24th, 2020
Madam Chair, as I said, the previous government actually gutted the Fisheries Act. It was our government that put provisions back in place to make sure that we addressed owner-operator, and to make sure that we addressed the protection of fish and fish habitat for the long-term sustainability of the fishery.
We take no direction from the Conservatives when it comes to making sure that the Fisheries Act is where it needs to be. We have made sure that we are doing everything we possibly can to address fisheries in Atlantic Canada and on all coasts.
Business of Supply November 24th, 2020
Madam Chair, I am quite glad my hon. colleague brought up the Fisheries Act and the modernization of the Fisheries Act. Of course, that had to be done because the previous government, of which he was a member, absolutely gutted the Fisheries Act. It took away protection for fish and fish habitat. We put that back in.
With regard to owner-operator, this is something I have been committed to since the first day I was elected. We are working toward making sure we have those regulations in place. This is something that is critically important to our rural coastal communities. I am going to continue to work to make sure we address it.
Business of Supply November 24th, 2020
Madam Chair, our government welcomes a collaboration between industry and first nations to grow our Canadian seafood industry. This project represents a positive step in building strong partnerships between indigenous communities and the commercial seafood sector. We are continuing to work with all our partners in the seafood sector to promote sustainability and productive commercial fisheries across Canada.
This, of course, is a relatively new deal. We are still doing our due diligence on this new purchase, and we will continue to do the work we need to do to make sure that we are protecting the Canadian fishery.
Business of Supply November 24th, 2020
Madam Chair, no.
Business of Supply November 24th, 2020
Madam Chair, we are currently negotiating with first nations to implement their fishing plans. As I have said many times, we do not negotiate in public. I cannot prejudge what the outcome of those negotiations will be. We are working with first nations to make sure that we implement their moderate livelihood right, but we also recognize that the commercial harvesters have concerns that we will be addressing as well.
Business of Supply November 24th, 2020
Madam Chair, since day one I have said that conservation is going to be our number one priority when it comes to the moderate livelihood fishery and Atlantic Canada. This is a goal we share with first nations as well as with commercial harvesters. I am never going to do anything that is going to challenge conservation. We need to make sure that the fishery is sustainable for the long term, and that is what we are going to do.
Business of Supply November 24th, 2020
Madam Chair, the fish harvester benefit and grant program delivered financial support that was much needed in our commercial fisheries. We recognized early on that with the measures we put in place as a government, they did not qualify because of the way that their enterprises were set up.
Our government has said we will continue to work to make sure that all Canadians are looked after. We are going to continue to do that as we get through this pandemic. As my hon. colleague said, people should be paying attention to public health guidelines, but right now we are very focused on making sure that we are working to address the concerns we are hearing in our communities and from those on our coastal waters. We will make sure that we are there to support our fishing sector.