Keith Ashfield

[Fisheries and Oceans, March 6th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, only from the NDP can we expect to hear cries like the fishery is broken, but please do not fix it.

We are consulting with fishers and Canadians. Our fisheries is in dire need of an overhaul. The waste that we have in our fisheries management now needs to be improved for all fishers so they can earn a proper livelihood.

[Fisheries and Oceans, March 1st, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's fisheries used to be the economic driver of many small communities and many coastal communities. We believe that fisheries should still significantly contribute to the national and regional economies.

We are presently conducting a consultation, both in the field face to face and through online consultation, to get feedback from Canadians as to how we should proceed in the modernization of the fishery.

[Fisheries and Oceans, February 29th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, indeed the member is right. Canada is a strong economic player on the world stage, yet when it comes to our fisheries, we are often outperformed by much smaller jurisdictions. That should not be the case.

For some time now, my officials have been consulting in person and online with stakeholders seeking their views on how we can change the way we do business. We received many excellent ideas. We will be extending the deadline for submissions until March 14, to ensure that everyone with an interest in strong jobs and economic growth has a chance to respond.

[Search and Rescue, February 9th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the tragedy that occurred last week was very unfortunate but it had nothing to do with the search and rescue centre in St. John's. We will not review our decision. It is as it stands.

[Sealing Industry, February 8th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, as we have indicated before, this side of the House supports our sealers and our sealing industry.

The Chinese government is currently doing a technical review of the policy and hopefully we will see good news forthcoming.

[Search and Rescue, February 7th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the answer is no. We will ensure that there is safety for all mariners, and the language capabilities will be in place before we move forward with our decision.

[Sealing Industry, February 3rd, 2012]

Madam Speaker, of course this government is in support of sealers, their families and the way of life of many eastern Canadians and people in the Arctic. Not only is it a way of life but it is also a food source for many people in the Arctic. It is a very important food source, high in protein and omega 3 oils. We are very happy on this side of the House to support our sealers.

[Search and Rescue, February 3rd, 2012]

Madam Speaker, as usual the member opposite is entirely wrong. The efficiencies being gained at the sub-centre are strictly a working of the overtime situation, allowing better usage of overtime, with principles that have been used in both Victoria and Quebec for some 10 years now. We are simply nationalizing that as a policy to save money and still protect mariners.

[Fisheries and Oceans, February 2nd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, hopefully I will not fall overboard at any given moment in the near future. However, I can assure the member that we have a sustainable fishery in this country. We manage it very carefully with the best science advice provided to us and we will continue to make our decisions based on science.

[Fisheries and Oceans, February 2nd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the sharing arrangement for Atlantic halibut has been in place since the 1990s. It is considered stable and revisions are not being considered. Stable shares are essential to providing certainty and predictability to the industry.