House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2011, with 54% of the vote.
Fisheries and Oceans June 1st, 2009
Mr. Speaker, as the member should know, we take our commitment to small craft harbours very seriously. That is why we put $200 million over a couple of years in our economic action plan for that. We are continuing to work on those.
A whole process is involved in deciding which projects should take priority. We continue to work on them in that way.
Lobster Fishery May 29th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, my colleague is right that this is a serious issue. Our government is committed to the long-term success of the lobster fishery. We are working with all Atlantic provincial governments and Quebec, as well as industry associations and processor associations to help the industry during this difficult time.
At the heart of the problem is the very low price due to reduced demand. That is why last week we announced an investment of $10 million to improve marketing which should help that situation. The minister is having discussions with her colleagues and provincial counterparts for additional solutions.
Business of Supply May 28th, 2009
Madam Chair, if I have a moment, I have one final comment or two and a question for the minister.
I think one of the things we have heard throughout our conversations and debate here tonight is that, for everything we do, the foundation needs to be built on good knowledge. In fact, good science helps us achieve that.
I would like to ask the minister if she has a few comments on that as we close this evening, the importance of science as we move forward in doing what is right for Canadian fisheries.
Business of Supply May 28th, 2009
Madam Chair, I thank the minister for her helpful definition on sustainability. We hear it so much, and as Canadians we need to do what it is talking about.
When I was at the Boston seafood show a few years ago, I remember being in a meeting with the previous fisheries minister and a roomful of industry leaders. I remember one of them saying that the light we see coming down the track is a train, and that train is this whole issue of eco certification. At that time, three years ago, it was not as big an issue but that turned out to be quite prophetic. In fact, it has become a very important issue.
I would like to ask the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans to tell this House what progress has been made in terms of helping Canadian industry gain eco certification.
Business of Supply May 28th, 2009
Madam Chair, as I might well be the last speaker here, I will take this opportunity to thank the minister and her officials for a fine job of explaining the estimates to us. I thank my colleagues who participated as well, and my colleagues from the other side. We always appreciate constructive questions and we appreciated many of theirs.
I am proud to say that Canada is a leader in the production of high quality, safe, fresh, nutritious and sustainable fish and seafood, thanks to the leadership of our Prime Minister and the support from the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. It is our commitment to our fishing industry that will help ensure the sustainability of our aquatic ecosystems, as well as the industry's success now and in the future.
As many know, our country is currently the seventh largest seafood exporter in the world by value and Canada's commercial fisheries and aquaculture generate a total economic revenue of $7 billion for the country. In 2008 alone, we exported $3.9 billion of fish and seafood products. Our great nation has the ideal conditions for a successful seafood sector: an extensive coastline, the largest in the world, in fact; favourable water temperatures; and a vibrant history of fishing.
At the same time, due to the current economic environment, the fishing industry is changing quickly in Canada, as it is in other countries around the globe. Recently there has been an increasing demand around the world for the seafood sector to demonstrate its sustainability. That is the word that is used over and over. There have been a number of consumer education campaigns on how to purchase sustainable seafood, and more markets are demanding evidence of sustainability through eco-certification programs.
Now retailers and consumers alike want greater transparency regarding how the products they purchase come from sustainably managed and responsible fisheries. We think that is not a bad thing. It is clear that sustainability will continue to be a significant part of maintaining and expanding market access in Canada as well as in the international sphere. That is why Fisheries and Oceans Canada is working hard on sustainable fisheries and ecosystem protection issues while also balancing the needs of coastal Canadians who rely on the fisheries and aquaculture industries for their livelihood.
I will now talk about sustainability. We know that sound science and effective management are critical to sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, and our government has responsible management measures in place. We make informed decisions based on scientific research and peer reviewed advice and we plan ahead with stakeholders, including aboriginal peoples. We manage environmental impacts and apply the measures that are necessary to conserve our fish stocks and address ecosystem impacts.
I am proud of how our government is managing Canada's fish and seafood to meet today's needs without compromising future generations. Our government is proudly committed to adding more fishery and habitat officers to improve services at DFO and to show our commitment to the men and women who rely on natural resources, such as fish and shellfish. These officers are working across the country to monitor and enforce compliance. Canada has one of the most advanced monitoring, control and surveillance programs in the world.
As has been mentioned earlier, since 2006, we have trained and hired 153 new officers at DFO. We are proud of them and their commitment to our cause as they work on the front lines. We continuously strive to improve as we learn more. The key is to find balance that serves the needs of Canadians while managing environmental impacts, and that is what we seek to do.
Our plan for sustainable fisheries forms the basis for improved decision making by introducing new policies and tools that build on existing measures to support sustainable fisheries. It is helping to improve the way precautionary decisions are made for the conservation and sustainable use of the fisheries resource. It is also helping to improve the way we think about and address the impact of fishing on the ecosystem, including target fish stocks, other species caught incidentally and sensitive marine habitats.
Our aquaculture industry has also managed sustainably and is constantly improving. Canadian aquaculture products are safe and our fish farming practices are among the best in the world.
I will now talk about market access. While sustainability is important to DFO's work in maintaining healthy and vibrant aquatic ecosystems, our demonstration of that sustainability is now an imperative for Canadian industry, particularly those operating in the international marketplace. I want to emphasize that our government recognizes how important this is.
Since more than 80% of Canada's fish and seafood is being exported, we needed to take seriously those new and emerging market requirements. Ensuring our fish and seafood products remain accessible to international markets is a priority. The international marketplace has unique challenges for the Canadian aquaculture and seafood industries, namely the increasing demands for eco certification and traceability of seafood products, and the overall sustainability of the seafood sector, as well as market access issues such as the high tariffs that our products currently face.
By working together, governments and industry will address them and maintain Canada's position as a leader in sustainable seafood. Our government will support industry in meeting the standards required by the world's major seafood markets.
As mentioned, domestic and international markets are increasingly demanding that seafood products they buy come from fisheries that have received this certification, usually a third party assessment that a fishery is being managed sustainably.
While the decision to pursue eco certification lies with industry, fisheries and oceans has an important supporting role in providing fishery science and management information to help meet assessment requirements.
DFO has also worked with the provinces and territories through the Canadian Council of Fisheries and Aquaculture Ministers to produce a national strategy on eco certification that will guide us as we respond to industry's needs.
Our government is also hard at work on traceability issues. The world fight against IUU, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, is growing stronger and that is a good thing. We all know that these activities are costing industry, fishing communities and governments billions of dollars in losses.
A new European Union regulation which will go into effect at the beginning of 2010 is intended to help mitigate IUU fishing by requiring catch information from any seafood products entering the EU. For Canadian industry, it means that most seafood products exported to the EU will need to be accompanied by a DFO issued certificate with this catch information.
Supporting industry in meeting these requirements is a priority for our government, and we are working with the EU as well as our colleagues in the United States to do this. We are also working collaboratively with provinces and the fishing industry to ensure that Canadian seafood exporters are consulted and informed. This will enable them to better respond to these new requirements.
Another example of our government's work on market access is on lobster. We have spoken about that a fair bit tonight. The Government of Canada recognizes that Atlantic Canada has been hard hit by the sharp decline in demand for lobster. Our government will continue to work alongside all stakeholders, including the provinces and fishermen's associations, to seek solutions for the industry in the near term and address some of the long-term structural changes needed in the fishery. The $10 million of investment from the community adjustment fund announced last week is just one way our government is assisting the lobster industry.
Our government is committed to working together with stakeholders on an array of issues faced by Canadian industry, in particular eco certification and traceability, to help them maintain and expand market access. We are confident that our collaborative relationships with all levels of the seafood chain--industry, harvesters and processors, provinces and territories, the federal government and our international partners--will help us better meet current challenges and help the seafood industry as it moves forward.
The funding outlined in DFO's main estimates is what makes these efforts possible. We must continue investing in DFO programs and services to ensure that we continue to meet our mandate and to excellently serve Canadians.
I would like to take this opportunity to ask the minister a couple of basic questions. The first one has to do with this whole issue of sustainability. It has become a very popular word these days. Could she tell us how her department is committed to that, and how it will benefit Canadians?
Business of Supply May 28th, 2009
Madam Chair, I would be happy to answer that question. I actually made the announcement at the Capilano hatchery. It was part of an $8 million investment by the government to improve hatcheries.
Business of Supply May 28th, 2009
Mr. Chair, the minister provided a good overview of how to interpret the main estimates, plans and priorities as we look forward to the things that we need to accomplish. I know we will have more opportunity to talk about that in the next few hours.
In her comments, she talked about enforcement. That really is part of what we need to do in terms of protection, sustainability and so on. I would like to ask the minister to tell us more about her priorities in that area and the investments we continue to make.
Fisheries and Oceans May 15th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, in fact, I sympathize with the member because it was his colleague, the fisheries critic from that side, who misinterpreted a comment made by our minister and announced a program when no decision had been made and no program existed. He finds himself in a difficult spot, as the member does, as well.
If the member has some additional information about ice, I can tell him that there is a meeting going on right at this moment about these issues and the difficulties the lobster industry is facing and he ought to wait for that.
Fisheries and Oceans May 15th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, in fact the member knows full well that ice conditions are often a challenge on the east coast. However, the fact is that the majority of fleets along the east coast have begun their fishing activities and are well ahead of the 2007 season when we last saw severe ice conditions.
There are some areas in Labrador and northeast Newfoundland where there were some delays, but that is not unusual at this time of year. We are monitoring the situation daily because things do change daily. It was 21°C in Twillingate yesterday, I understand.
If the member has some additional information for us, we would be glad to receive it.
Firearms Registry May 15th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, the NDP members do not want some people to have access to guns, but the people they are trying to keep away from guns are hunters and farmers, not urban gang members. Recently, the NDP members were either missing in action when it came time to vote on the long gun registry or fell in line behind their big city leader.
In this place, the member for Thunder Bay—Rainy River said, “for eight years since the turn of the century, my constituents have told me that we need to get rid of the long gun registry”. Then there is the member for Timmins—James Bay, who criticized the registry, saying, “It was never set up to deal with the realities of northern Ontario”. The member for Winnipeg Centre said, “I wouldn't want one more penny to go to that gun registry”. They voted in favour of the registry.
How can members of the NDP say they will vote against something and then sit on their hands or oppose it? How can they say they are standing up for their constituents when they seem to forget where they stand on the gun registry?
Their constituents should see how the NDP members behave when in Ottawa. They want to punish farmers and hunters, not the criminals. However, that is what one does when one is a member of the soft on crime NDP.