Gail Shea

[Questions on the Order Paper, January 27th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, with regard to (a), the FFAW delivers the cod sentinel survey; the fisheries science collaborative program, FSCP; and post-season snow crab pot surveys, the aquaculture impact on lobsters and crab in Connaigre Bay and Eastport lobster marine protected area.

The FFAW applied for and received funding under the Atlantic lobster sustainability measures, ALSM, program and administers it on behalf of lobster harvesters in Newfoundland and Labrador.

With regard to (b), while these are not contracts, under the ALSM program, DFO and the FFAW signed contribution agreements. The remaining programs listed above are administered via contracts from DFO through PWGSC.

With regard to (c), the FFAW does not administer the dockside monitoring program for DFO.

With regard to (e), no, the FFAW does not administer any stewardship fisheries for DFO.

With regard to (d) and (f), it is not applicable.

[Questions on the Order Paper, December 9th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, the preliminary investigation by the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages concluded that the new structural model for DFO’s scientific libraries does not restrict services to the public or impact the employees under part IV, communications with and services to the public, and part V, language of work, of the Official Languages Act, and the nine complaints received are deemed unfounded under these two parts of the act. The Commissioner of Official Languages has provided recommendations to the department with regard to part VII of the act, advancement of English and French. Fisheries and Oceans Canada supports the promotion of Canada’s national languages and the development of both language communities across this country. In this regard, the department has provided comments to the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages on the preliminary investigation report. Discussions are ongoing, and we look forward to receiving the final report.

[Questions on the Order Paper, December 6th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, with regard to (a), the Canadian Coast Guard base at Sea Island responded to 225 search and rescue incidents between March 1 and October 1, 2013.

With regard to (b), the general area of search and rescue responsibility of the Sea Island base during this period was north to Departure Bay, south to Boundary Bay, east to New Westminster, and west to Crofton on Vancouver Island.

With regard to (c) of the 225 search and rescue incidents received by Sea Island, with regard to (b)(i), 197 incidents were responded to using an air-cushioned vehicle. With regard to (b)(ii), 28 incidents were responded to using fast rescue craft. With regard to (b)(iii) through (b)(v), the Canadian Coast Guard does not track all of the search and rescue responses of non-federal response agencies, such as the Vancouver police and fire departments and North Shore search and rescue.

[Questions on the Order Paper, November 29th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, with regard to the 2007 citations issued by the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization, or NAFO, inspectors to vessels fishing in the NAFO regulatory area, with regard to (a), the Government of Canada has in some cases been informed of penalties and/or fines imposed by the vessels’ home countries. In other instances, the cases are currently pending or under investigation or have been closed.

With regard to (b), no formal inquiries were made, as this information is reported to NAFO members on an annual basis.

With regard to (c), when fines or penalties were imposed after conviction, information related to whether they were paid or not was not made available to NAFO members until subsequent years.

[Questions on the Order Paper, November 29th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, with regard to (a), yes, the government is planning to replace the existing search and rescue lifeboats in Burin, NL, and Burgeo, NL. Each will be replaced by a newly built search and rescue lifeboat of a more modern design.

With regard to (a)(i), one search and rescue lifeboat is planned for each location.

With regard to (a)(ii), yes, the replacement of the Burin and Burgeo search and rescue lifeboats will be financed as part of the $488 million announced by Minister MacKay.

With regard to (a)(iii), the answer is no. In spring 2013 different scenarios and dates were contemplated, and the Mari-Tech 2013 Conference was chosen as the optimum time and place.

With regard to (a)(iv), question (a)(iv) is not applicable.

With regard to (a)(v), delivery of the vessels is forecast from 2015 through 2018. However, this preliminary forecast will be updated through consultations and contracting with industry.

With regard to (a)(vi), no, there are no delays in the delivery of the vessels.

With regard to (a)(vii), question (a)(vii) is not applicable.

With regard to (a)(viii), no, there is no plan to provide additional search and rescue lifeboats in other communities in Random—Burin--St. George’s.

With regard to (a)(ix), (a)(x), and (a)(xi), the questions are not applicable.

With regard to (b), the department realigned resources with current fishing efforts and compliance rates, which reduced the overall requirement for CCG ship time. Two new vessels, CCGS G. Peddle S.C. and CCGS Corporal McLaren M.M.V., will conduct six months of midshore fisheries patrol. Other vessels will be assigned to deliver Coast Guard programs.

With regard to (b)(i), there is no impact to search and rescue. All CCG vessels are search and rescue vessels, and will be assigned tasks according to program needs.

With regard to (b)(ii) and (b)(iii), the questions are not applicable.

With regard to (b)(iv), it will take approximately three weeks to reactivate the vessel.

With regard to (b)(v), the vessel is in cold lay-up and may be reactivated to cover off duties of other vessels as they are taken out of service for extended periods of time.

With regard to (b)(vi), no decision has been made at this time.

With regard to (b)(vii), the CCGS Sir Wilfred Grenfell is a patrol vessel that is used to carry out various Coast Guard and Department of Fisheries and Oceans programs.

With regard to (b)(viii), other vessels will be assigned to carry out Coast Guard Services, such as the CCGS Leonard J. Cowley, the CCGS Cygnus, or the CCGS Earl Grey.

With regard to (b)(ix), all Coast Guard vessels can respond to oil spills. CCGS Ann Harvey and CCGS George R. Pearkes have capacity similar to CCGS Sir Wilfred Grenfell.

With regard to (b)(x), firefighting is not part of the Coast Guard’s mandate.

[Sealing Industry, November 25th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, we certainly are very concerned about this decision. That is why we are appealing the decision. The WTO has found that the European Union's ban is unfair and discriminatory and violates international trade obligations. That is why we will be appealing.

Canadians can rest assured that Canada has the highest standard of any seal hunt in the world. We remain steadfast in our commitment to fight for our sealing businesses, and to help preserve our rural coastal communities. Many of our rural coastal communities have relied on this seal hunt as a way of life for decades.

[Fisheries and Oceans, November 25th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hard-working member for Miramichi for her question.

Our government is firmly committed to defending sealing businesses and the coastal and northern communities that depend on the harvest of seals. Therefore, today I am announcing that Canada will appeal the WTO ruling that allows the European ban to continue. The ruling upholds a practice that is unfair and discriminatory toward Canada.

We call on the Liberals and the NDP to support the government's decision to appeal this unfair and incorrect ruling.

[Search and Rescue, November 6th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, first, I want to thank private citizen Terry Ryan and the other private citizens who responded to the call. I also want to thank the Canadian Coast Guard and Canadian Forces personnel for being involved in this rescue which saved three people, thankfully.

The fact that a private vessel responded after mayday calls were issued by both the burning vessel and the Canadian Coast Guard and they were first on site is an example of how the mayday system works well. The closest vessel headed out to the disaster. The mayday was issued at 6:20 a.m. and in nine minutes a Hercules from Greenwood, a Coast Guard ship out of Lewisporte and a helicopter out of Gander were tasked with responding.

[Fisheries and Oceans, November 4th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, library users were asking for digital information so we are accommodating that demand by expanding our digital access and reducing paper where possible.

Our libraries will continue to deliver services in both official languages. The commissioner has recognized that the model for DFO's scientific libraries will not affect the service to the public, nor the language of work for staff. The commissioner himself says that the new organizational chart proposed by DFO shows that three of the four positions at the BIO library will be bilingual. The national team's four positions will continue to be bilingual.

[Fisheries and Oceans, November 4th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, these changes are another step in our government's commitment to cut red tape and to protect Canadian fisheries. Our changes make penalties tougher for those who break the law. We will focus our time and resources on those projects that could have an impact on the fisheries that are important to the rural areas of Canada and those people whose livelihoods depend upon them.