Fisheries committee  I just want clarification on your question. The industry supports which recommendation?

Fisheries committee  I would probably want to draw people's attention to recommendation 19, which said that in relation to the Discovery Islands, which is the most pressing and prescient at the moment, those farms ought not to be there unless adequate science can demonstrate that they can operate wit

Fisheries committee  I think the salmon-farming community, both on the west coast and on the east coast, has talked to government for some time about perhaps not removing regulators—because we think Fisheries and Oceans is a quality regulator—but about having a champion, much like all the other food

Fisheries committee  Thank you, Mr. Johns. I think the commitment actually is not necessarily closed containment. In fact, I don't think you'll find those words in the mandate letter as it's currently drafted. I also think there is a process in place that the minister has talked about over this five

Fisheries committee  The mandate, Mr. Johns, is to execute a transition.

Fisheries committee  The word “removal” is not in there.

Fisheries committee  That would be fantastic.

Fisheries committee  I would add that certainly one of the most comprehensive studies was the Cohen commission report back in 2012. Justice Cohen did conclude that there was really no smoking gun, no single stressor, responsible for declining stocks. He said multiple factors are contributing to that:

Fisheries committee  Thank you, Mr. Arnold. We did expect a decision in September and we were heartened with the recommendations coming through a scientific process, that after nine reviews over nine years, there was in total a less than minimal risk to the wild salmon migrating through there. That

Fisheries committee  That's conducted through the Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat. It's a panel that is administered through the Government of Canada. My understanding is that half the scientists associated with the secretariat are with government, and the other half, more or less, are outsid

Fisheries committee  No.

Fisheries committee  I'm not sure. I understand that those processes are in camera with the scientists as part of their consultation with one another. All we know is that when the review was announced, like when a pope is chosen, we all know and then there is a very detailed analysis provided. In thi

Fisheries committee  These are good questions that you should probably be asking the department. They conducted their review. However, I gather as well that sea lice was not factored as a risk assessment coming through the Cohen commission looking at migrating sockeye. However, sea lice is a conditio

Fisheries committee  It's an ongoing area of concern, absolutely, which is why the companies have invested tremendous amounts of money and environmentally focused technology to help mitigate the concerns. I'm really quite impressed by the effort right now on the coast.

Fisheries committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair, for the opportunity to address your committee today. I want to make three points. The first is that B.C. salmon farmers are a significant economic driver to the agrifood sector in Canada. We are B.C.'s number one seafood and agrifood exporter with a total e