Mike Allen

[Petitions, June 9th, 2009]

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to present a petition signed by several thousand people from my riding and clear across Canada, drawing attention to the issue of bullying in Canada and the serious problem we face.

Many organizations are trying to prevent this in our schools, as well as the problems that arise later on. They are asking Parliament to declare December 17, Blue Day, an official day to recognize the work of these organizations in Canada.

Some have stressed how a recent TV show on MTV has played up bullying as a normal course of events. The petitioners are seriously concerned that this TV show plays up bullying as something that can be dealt with force on force when that is not what we should be trying to do.

[Petitions, June 1st, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, May was Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month. I am presenting a petition signed by a number of people from across Canada who are concerned about the hardship that MS places on their families. They have suggested a number of means, including EI as well as tax reforms, to allow them to make their lives better. As a person whose family was impacted by MS with my sister, I am proud to bring their concerns to the House of Commons.

[Business of Supply, May 28th, 2009]

Mr. Chair, I will ask a local question on the wild Atlantic salmon. It is a subject of much interest in my riding on the Saint John River system. Following the release of Canada's policy for conservation of wild Pacific salmon in 2005, DFO began work on the wild Atlantic salmon conservation policy to parallel the Pacific document.

I know the minister was there when a group from my riding won the national recreational fisheries award from the Miramichi Headwaters Salmon Federation.

I would like to ask if the minister could give us an update on the wild Atlantic salmon policy.

[Business of Supply, May 28th, 2009]

Mr. Chair, in explanation of the management of the industry and how it is so important, I am encouraged to know there are checks and balances in place, because we have obviously seen some challenges in the industry over the past.

One particularly important safeguard is that the management plans are mandatory as a condition of licence. Each plan is specific to the site where the shellfish farm is located and the health of the aquatic species being farmed. It also outlines guidelines to manage fish farm waste and to prevent disease and escapes from the farm. This is all very encouraging.

From a broader perspective, given the past, I would like the view of the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans on the potential of the aquaculture industry.

[Business of Supply, May 28th, 2009]

Mr. Chair, thank you for the opportunity today to present the many ways in which the Department of Fisheries and Oceans fosters the economic prosperity of Canadians. The flourishing aquaculture industry in Canada is a perfect example. The aquaculture sector is an increasingly important part of our economy and an industry in which we can take great pride.

Since 1996, Canadian aquaculture production has more than doubled. It has an approximate value of $1 billion, representing one third of the value of the country's fish and seafood sector. Canada has all the conditions for this sector to succeed: a sizeable coastline, favourable water temperatures and a long tradition of fish production. These factors, together with innovative technologies supported by a government committed to helping this industry achieve its full potential, will ensure that aquaculture will have a bright future in our country.

DFO is committed to working with provinces and territories to grow this industry, providing valuable employment opportunities to coastal and rural communities, while contributing to the world's food supply at the same time. I am pleased to speak on this part of the industry tonight as some of this operation is in my riding, being an inland riding, which feeds to the aquaculture sector in the Bay of Fundy of New Brunswick.

This government's 2008 budget announced $70 million in funding for the federal sustainable aquaculture program. Over the course of the next five years, this investment will help the Canadian aquaculture industry to succeed and flourish in an economic, socially and environmentally sustainable manner.

The new sustainable aquaculture program focuses on four interconnected and mutually supportive areas: governance and regulatory reform, regulatory science, innovation, and certification and market access. These four pillars are being used to help guide our approach to aquaculture development and are reflected in the concrete steps being taken to advance the industry here in Canada.

First, we are collaborating with the provinces and territories, industry, academia, other government departments, environmental organizations and international partners, all to improve the way we manage this country's farmed seafood industries.

Second, funding is being used to support the environmentally sustainable management of aquaculture operations. Part of the funding has already been used to initiate 16 research projects across Canada under the new program for aquaculture regulatory research.

Third, we have been working closely with industry to establish the Canadian Aquaculture Standards Forum to advance our collective understanding of third-party certification issues and to support the industry's efforts to become fully certified to international standards as soon as possible. We have also collaborated with industry to proactively tell our sustainability story in key markets through the United States and Europe.

Last, we have established the aquaculture innovation and market access program, AIMAP. This grant and contributions program is making $4.7 million available each year, totalling $23.5 million over the next five years, to support innovation in the aquaculture industry.

I am pleased to say that through AIMAP, DFO has already made significant contributions to sustainable production and increased diversification in green technologies within our aquaculture industry across the country. For example, in December 2008, the Government of Canada made its first announcement with the Government of Manitoba regarding the allocation of AIMAP funding to support an innovative model farm project for freshwater aquaculture in the province.

The project involved an AIMAP investment of over $300,000 to support a model aqua farm in Winnipeg that shows considerable potential for the future of freshwater farming. This development involves the construction of a state-of-the-art land-based freshwater aquaculture production system that will eventually help standardize freshwater farms for the rest of Canada.

Our commitment to working with the provinces and territories to help our aquaculture industry expand, evolve and succeed has only increased in 2009. As part of our objective to encourage sustainable fisheries, in January we invested $1 million in four different innovative projects taking place in my home province, in southwest New Brunswick. As a result, Canadian Halibut Inc., Kelly Cove Salmon, the Aquaculture Engineering Group and Cooke Aquaculture will all have opportunities to make advancements through their projects that will make a real difference to the future of the industry.

Similarly, in March of 2009 DFO invested another $1 million into the Newfoundland commercial Atlantic cod farm demo project, along with contributions by Cooke Aquaculture in the province of Newfoundland. These funds will assist in the development of a commercial scale cod farm in the Hermitage Bay area that will raise cod from fry to market.

With the help of agencies such as the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, this project will not only demonstrate the technical and financial feasibility of commercial cod farming, it also has the potential to bring more jobs to the area over the long-term.

Since we began the aquaculture innovation and market access program in 2008, $4.4 million in federal funds has already been leveraged for 28 projects, with a total value of over $26 million, and DFO continues to review proposals annually.

Over the course of the next four years, I am confident that even more aquaculture initiatives within each of the four pillars we are focusing on will benefit greatly from the access and support of our new sustainable aquaculture program.

Canada is a world leader in researching integrated aquaculture and we are quickly becoming a model for sustainable fisheries. In order to maintain this position and drive further growth, the Government of Canada must continue to invest to encourage viable aquaculture and improve its ability to respond to market-driven opportunities.

DFO's aquaculture collaborative research and development program has a budget of about $4.5 million annually and teams the aquaculture industry with DFO researchers, and sometimes other funding partners, to increase the number of partnerships, to share knowledge, and to develop further research and developmental opportunities. The objectives of this program include boosting the performance of fish stock, maintaining optimal fish health and practising solid industry environmental performance, all to help Canada's aquaculture sector reach its highest potential.

As members may know, the program has funded a number of successful joint projects between government and industry over the past few years. For example, researchers from DFO's Freshwater Institute and collaborators from across the country have been looking into the ecosystem effects of cage aquaculture on Canada's lakes. This research is helping to chart a clear course for sustainable freshwater cage-based aquaculture that will complement ocean farming as another industry driver.

The bottom line is that science and technology innovation are driving the success of a vibrant and innovative aquaculture industry. Solid research is working to strengthen the industry's environmental performance and improve economic development at the same time.

From east to west, aquaculture is providing jobs and a future to many Canadians in communities where the economic options were at one time more limited. In fact, the majority of aquaculture jobs in this country employ people younger than 40.

The concrete benefits that this industry brings to Canadians are made much clearer when looking along the coast of bays in southern Newfoundland where a thriving aquaculture industry has re-energized coastal rural communities that have seen tough times in the past.

With the funding we received in the 2008 budget, the programs I mentioned today, along with other DFO initiatives, will help us to improve the industry's competitiveness and environmental performance on the global stage. Our investment will encourage continuous development of the aquaculture sector and help make Canada a stronger international contender during the period of economic uncertainty and beyond.

I would like to reiterate that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans is committed to working alongside its partners in order to attain its objectives and improve the assistance provided to this country's aquaculture industry.

I have a couple of questions that I would like to ask the minister about the aquaculture industry and, if I have time, maybe one about salmon.

I believe it is clear that this government is taking significant steps to support the sustainable development of the aquaculture industry. Commercial-scale aquaculture emerged in Canada during the 1970s. Since then there has been a significant increase in public scrutiny of industry and pressure on governments to take action to reduce impacts of industrial activity on the environment. Environmental advocacy groups have closely scrutinized the salmon farming sector since the late 1990s as production began to grow exponentially on both coasts of Canada.

We all know that there are inherent challenges to farming fish and seafood, just as there are with any kind of fisheries and land-based farming. Yet, despite these challenges, the Canadian aquaculture sector has grown steadily and addressed gaps between supply and demand for fresh fish and seafood. The sector is providing valuable and rewarding jobs for many Canadians in coastal, rural and aboriginal communities. The latest trend is the concept of seafood sustainability. Many different certification and standard criteria have been developed.

How has DFO adapted its management of the aquaculture industry to ensure that fish and shellfish farms have improved their environmental performance?

[Nuclear Liability and Compensation Act, May 15th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her speech.

During the last parliamentary session, the Bloc Québécois and the Liberal Party supported this bill. I would like to thank them for their continued support during this session.

After listening to today's speech, I do not understand the Liberal Party's position.

Personally, I support nuclear power. However, I am pleased she made the important comment that no matter what side of the argument one is on when it comes to nuclear power, the bill is important because we have nuclear facilities out there now. We desperately need to get this covered.

It is good that she has pointed out the difference between supporting the existing facilities out there as opposed to the debate of whether we should expand nuclear power. To me, the bill is important to ensure that we cover what we have out there. It puts a platform for the future in place, but it also ensures that we adequately cover what we have today. If she would like to comment on that, I would appreciate it.

[Nuclear Liability and Compensation Act, May 15th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his comments, aside from some of the partisan ones that he threw in.

He was talking about Chalk River and he is well aware from the testimony that was provided in the committee that there was a situation with the reactors and he knows full well that it was contained. That is the evidence that was given. There was no health risk to the public. In any event, we will get past that and we will get on to the bill.

I appreciate in the last Parliament the tremendous support we received from the Liberals to get the bill through. I would like the member to comment on the importance of bringing the legislation up to date and in raising the amount to $650 million. I would also like him to comment on the safety records of the nuclear facilities in Canada and how that will help us, as Canadians, to mitigate the potential insurance that needs to be carried on these units.

[Nuclear Liability and Compensation Act, May 15th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker the parliamentary secretary talked about bringing the insurance level in line with other jurisdictions. He also talked about our CANDU reactors in Canada, the tremendous safety record they have and the tremendous redundancies they have built into their technologies to ensure we do not have an accident.

We did hear a lot of testimony in the last Parliament on this bill. People commented about the potential loss with regard to some of these accidents that could happen.

I wonder if the parliamentary secretary could take a bit of time to comment with respect to how raising the level from $75 million to $650 million compares to other jurisdictions and how the safety record of our existing facilities in this country makes the $650 million more than adequate for what is required.

[Committees of the House, May 11th, 2009]

Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for the history on this because he has a tremendous amount of knowledge on how this has evolved over time.

We have talked about the humaneness and the ecodiversity. One of the things the Europeans talked about was, putting aside the Inuit, still allowing by labelling and allowing that to come in when in fact everybody who practises the seal hunt in Canada uses the same methods.

Would the member comment on the hypocrisy and ludicrousness of that statement?

[Committees of the House, May 11th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.

I am working with this member on the fisheries committee, and he is right: At the end of the day, there is a tremendous amount of information out there, wrong as it is, that is against the harvest.

It is interesting what Rebecca Aldworth, no friend of the seal hunt, by the way, as members will know, said in her comments on May 5. She said:

The Canadian government used every trick in the book to try to derail the ban: massive lobbying, misinformation, and even threats of trade reprisals.

I think there has been a tremendous amount of effort from our parliamentarians, and on that front as well, which would suggest that there has been a tremendous amount of lobbying and information put out there. However, I would also say to this member: The information we are putting out there is correct, and hers is wrong.