Fisheries and Oceans  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for the great work he does for his constituents. I received a report from the Atlantic seal science task force just this spring and the government is already taking action on it. I am happy to share with the House that, on November

Fisheries and Oceans  Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Avalon for his leadership and hard work. I have had the chance to see the damage from Fiona's destructive powers first-hand and I have heard just how critical our small craft harbours are for people and their communities and ec

Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act  moved that Bill S-5, An Act to amend the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, to make related amendments to the Food and Drugs Act and to repeal the Perfluorooctane Sulfonate Virtual Elimination Act, be read the second time and referred to a committee.

Fisheries and Oceans  Mr. Speaker, I also want to express my concern for the member's community and the fish harvesters. I have had a chance to hear from and discuss this with provincial premiers, fish harvesters and their representatives, and members of Parliament, and it is a very distressing situat

Fisheries and Oceans  Mr. Speaker, I want to express my shock after seeing the images in Atlantic Canada and eastern Quebec. My thoughts are with the families still struggling in those areas. I would like to assure the member that DFO has already inspected 80 small craft harbours. We are on the groun

Fisheries and Oceans  Mr. Speaker, again, having chatted with MPs and ministers from that area, I am very much seized with how much this challenges the people who may have lost their homes and may have lost their boats or their fishing gear. There may not be adequate food in the grocery stores. We ar

Fisheries and Oceans  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate these voices of concern from the members opposite. I can tell the House that the members on this side of the House from Atlantic Canada and eastern Quebec have been on the ground. I have spoken with my parliamentary secretary. He has not slept for days.

Fisheries and Oceans  Mr. Speaker, I want to confirm that we are committed to protecting our iconic wild salmon on the Pacific coast. That is why we are investing so much in the Pacific salmon strategy. I am also deeply engaged in the transition away from open-net pen aquaculture. I would like to co

Fisheries and Oceans  Mr. Speaker, I just want to add my voice to those thinking of all of the residents of Atlantic Canada who have been shocked and impacted. We are assessing the impact on wharves and other infrastructure in the fisheries communities. As the Prime Minister has said, we will be ther

Fisheries and Oceans  Mr. Speaker, our officials are doing just that. Our Coast Guard officials are standing ready to help in any way possible. They are helping with cleanup. They are helping with assessing the damage. We will be there for the residents of Atlantic Canada. We will be there for the fi

Fisheries and Oceans  Mr. Speaker, we are very aware of the extensive impact on residents and fish harvesters in Atlantic Canada. We are certainly considering requests to extend seasons as we do the other immediate work to help individuals and communities with the impacts of this incredible disaster.

Fisheries and Oceans  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for Egmont for his deep commitment to fish harvesters. Canada has world-class fisheries and that is thanks to our fish harvesters. With measures like dynamic closures, removing ghost gear and whale-safe gear innovations, Canadian harv

Fisheries and Oceans  Madam Speaker, I appreciate the work of fish harvesters and fish processors from coast to coast in this country. We make all of our decisions on fish allocations based on science and in consultation with harvesters and others. We are preparing decisions on this fishery and they w

Fisheries and Oceans  Madam Speaker, I understand the difficulties for fish harvesters. Stocks in some years are abundant and there is a lot of opportunity to fish them, and in other years and other stocks the abundance is just not there and we need to close down the fisheries. It is a difficult situa

Fisheries and Oceans  Madam Speaker, my goal is to grow the fish and seafood sector because of its importance to Canadian fish harvesters, processors and exporters. This is an amazingly strong part of our economy on both coasts. To do that, we need sustainable fisheries. When fisheries are frail, then