Fisheries committee  Chair, I can respond to that from DFO's perspective and our jurisdiction, which is up to the wharf. Certainly, we have a robust enforcement regime that's in place to ensure that harvesters are operating within the authority of their licence. They would be authorized to harvest only the specific species they are authorized to harvest.

Fisheries committee  If I understand the member's question correctly, it relates to products that are being imported into Canada that are incorrectly identified as a particular product. DFO's jurisdiction relates to the harvest of Canadian fish and seafood. We do not regulate the importation of seafood products into Canada.

Fisheries committee  Unfortunately, Chair, you were provided the wrong information. I apologize. I'm the director general of fisheries resource management and based at national headquarters in Ottawa.

Fisheries committee  Thanks, Chair. I'm here to speak at the committee's request in relation to the catch certification office and the functions that DFO serves in that manner. The Canadian seafood industry has undergone significant developments in the area of traceability over recent years. Much of this development has been largely driven by various market access requirements, many in the form of barriers to trade resulting from requirements of other countries.

Fisheries committee  In terms of a response to ensure that Canadian licences remain in our coastal communities, certainly the inshore regulations and the 51% Canadian ownership requirement for offshore licences ensure that and achieve that objective within the licences themselves. In terms of the processing sector, as mentioned, it is outside of our jurisdiction.

Fisheries committee  In terms of the processing sector, that's outside of DFO's jurisdiction. It's a provincial jurisdictional question.

Fisheries committee  Inshore regulations would prohibit inshore licence-holders from passing any of the rights and privileges related to their licence to any processing company, including one that may be owned by Royal Greenland. That requirement of maintaining the rights and privileges with the licence-holder would prevent that licence from entering into control by a processing company.

Fisheries committee  That's correct. I understood that the study today was related to the offshore, so that's what we came with prepared items on, but I'm happy to get you the necessary response to your question.

Fisheries committee  It would be a matter that is managed by our DFO regional colleagues in the Pacific region.

Fisheries committee  Again, I don't have specific details around this particular issue.

Fisheries committee  Mr. Chair, it is definitely true that the policy regime on the east coast and west coast are different. I don't have the specifics of the case you're referring to and wouldn't want to speculate on the particulars of a particular case without looking at it in its entirety.

Fisheries committee  In fact, there are only east coast offshore fisheries. Such a class of licence doesn't exist on the west coast. I don't have the particular percentage of Canadian ownership of each of the 97 licences, other than to say that in all cases, all 97 are greater than 51% Canadian owned.

Fisheries committee  That would be a question for the government. I wouldn't want to speak to that. In particular, what I can say is that our policy around the 51% Canadian ownership is strictly enforced and, of course, the ownership structure of public companies is publicly available.

Fisheries committee  Chair, unfortunately I don't have much of a response. I do apologize, Mr. Johns.

Fisheries committee  Sorry, just for—