Fisheries committee  It's correct that the fisheries on the east coast and the west coast are very different. What is consistent, though, is that without protections for active harvesters, the dollars flow away from them.

Fisheries committee  I would argue that the Fisheries Act already provides the authority to the minister, with a stroke of a pen in a ministerial order, to say that west coast fisheries are moving toward a made-in-B.C., owner-operator policy. I think a bit of vagueness in the act makes that a grey area.

Fisheries committee  Our fisheries don't feel nimble. We don't feel that the Fisheries Act allows for rapid enough change to address climate change and changes in abundance. We don't feel on the west coast that there are mechanisms for west coast harvesters to feel heard. We don't feel that those mechanisms are there.

Fisheries committee  I will definitely say that the harvesters in our community don't feel there is a mechanism for them to be heard, particularly because most of the young harvesters are leasing licences. They don't have a seat at advisory board tables because they don't own the access. It's very difficult for them to be heard.

Fisheries committee  Thank you so much for the question and for your kind words. The most important thing we need to do is embed into the act protections for harvesters, local community members and Canadian consumers. That can come in some of the forms I've mentioned so far, but certainly, embedding consultation into the act is another important point.

Fisheries committee  That's a great question. Consultation, right now, happens in advisory boards, which are largely made up of licence owners, so we have the perpetuation of a system where DFO consults with those who own and control access to the resource. Those are, generally speaking, not active harvesters or people working in coastal communities.

Fisheries committee  I agree with that. Through working with the Local Catch Network in the U.S., I have a lot of contact points with community-based fishers there. Their interaction with their department, the NOAA, is significantly different from what's in Canada. I think that stems from the relationships our department has.

Fisheries committee  Sure. I'll give you one quick example. One of the harvesters in our community spoke with Mr. Kelloway on Friday about the fact that right now he's waiting to head out on a halibut fishing trip. Of that catch, 77.5% of the landed value will go to the licence owner, the licence-holder.

Fisheries committee  With the way the act is currently worded, section 2.5 says, “the Minister may consider, among other things”, and then it lists, under paragraph 2.5(g), “social, economic and cultural factors in the management of fisheries” and, under paragraph 2.5(h), “the preservation or promotion of the independence of licence holders in commercial inshore fisheries”.

Fisheries committee  Thank you very much for those comments. I think we see very similar things in fisheries in Canada. We export around 90% of the seafood we catch. About 80% of what we eat in Canada is imported seafood, and we know it comes from fisheries that are not as well managed as ours, fisheries where the water isn't as clean and where we don't have labour laws to protect workers.

Fisheries committee  Absolutely.

Fisheries committee  Do you mean as they relate specifically to the conservation of fish stocks? Sorry, can you rephrase that question?

Fisheries committee  I think the written remarks that I've provided specifically relate to the protection of the socio-economic and cultural factors in fisheries. I have those comments there specifically—

Fisheries committee  Thank you, Mr. Arnold. This committee has been studying the topic of owner-operator and fleet separation for many years. Reports in 2019 and 2023 were very clear about recommendations for changes that needed to be made. We are still hoping to see those changes. There's very little progress and actual work being done.

Fisheries committee  Thank you so much. I'm so grateful to be here in person for this review of the Fisheries Act. It's a powerful tool for shaping how all Canadians benefit from the richness of our vast coastlines and from our abundant fisheries resources. My name is Sonia Strobel, and I come to you today from my home on the traditional and unceded territories of the Coast Salish people in Vancouver, B.C.