Fisheries committee  I think marine spatial planning in general is complementary. We can't be afraid to look at areas of high activity because we need to measure what's happening to the ecology and what's happening to the human activity. At least in my humble opinion, sometimes the establishment of MPAs is approached in areas where there is less human activity.

Fisheries committee  Thanks for your question. It's a good one. I don't consider them contradictory. Industries can adapt over time if they understand where they need to go, and it's being able to identify those objectives long ahead so that they have the time to put innovative ideas to adapting. It's establishing those clear objectives early, which are important, so that industry and government can put their heads down and start thinking about how to adapt to any specific objective.

Fisheries committee  I'll jump at this one first. Some of my response is speculative. I think we will see increased trade. There will be increased volumes of trade. I would expect that the numbers of vessel movements will not increase dramatically but that we'll see larger vessels carrying those cargoes, especially in the bulk commodities and containerized traffic.

Fisheries committee  I'll let Mr. Krusel respond to the Port of Prince Rupert. Yes, in certain cases. I think that we will look for increases in efficiency in the way that we move cargo, especially in the gateway into Vancouver. There are a lot of people focused on that, and a lot of government...

Fisheries committee  No, not exactly, but I've been involved in conservation initiatives all around the country from a policy perspective.

Fisheries committee  It really depends. I think there are cases where the ecosystem is so sensitive that may be the case, but it really is on a case-by-case basis, so I think it would be speculative of me to say one way or the other. The reality is that, with the proper ecosystem-based approach, you can determine what the right mitigation measures could be.

Fisheries committee  Certainly, off the east coast of Canada, there have been changes of traffic patterns to address marine mammal challenges, so it can happen. That was a specific example where it made sense to do that and the industry collaborated to find a solution.

Fisheries committee  This summer, starting in August, the industry will be conducting a trial to assess the impact of a speed reduction, specifically in Haro Strait, which is the most sensitive of the ecosystems for the southern resident killer whale. It searches for food and mates there. That trial will run for a two-month period and the objective of that trial is to measure the overall change in sound in that part of Haro Strait to see if a speed reduction alone can have a positive impact.

Fisheries committee  It's not voluntary. There is a traffic management framework for vessels that enter into the Port of Vancouver from the sea. Vessels have to follow that routing system. How that routing system is managed in the future might need to be looked at. I think some of that research that I've described already will go a long way in helping to look at the options that might be smart in that situation for that specific challenge relating to marine mammals.

Fisheries committee  It goes all the way to the sea, which is the western entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, off Vancouver Island.

Fisheries committee  Overall the various types of killer whales are generally improving. Only 78 southern resident killer whales frequent the waters of the south coast of B.C. They have been in decline for some time now, and certainly there is a lot of attention to try to stop that negative trend.

Fisheries committee  There are a number of factors. Decades ago we used to hunt and capture them. That was probably not a good thing. Of course, prey availability is another significant issue for that species and also contaminants in the water. These three major impacts on that species are hoping to be addressed in the near future.

Fisheries committee  I'm not a scientist by trade but I don't believe so.

Fisheries committee  I think any industrial activity has some impact. I'll talk in very general terms. Air emissions have an impact on the environment. It's one that the industry is addressing quite well, and in fact, emissions are decreasing overall, especially in our coastal environments, due to international and North American regulations.

Fisheries committee  Absolutely. In fact, next week we're meeting with the industry and all three of those departments specifically for the Scott Islands, for example. These are positive first steps.