Agriculture committee  Thank you for the question. I can't speak to the spotted lanternfly specifically, but I can follow up with the committee on plans regarding that invasive species specifically. In general, the way we approach invasive species is that once we get information from Environment and Climate Change Canada or Agriculture Canada or the CFIA, we convert that into direction to our frontline officers.

Agriculture committee  A constant top-of-mind challenge for the agency is ensuring our supply chains continue to remain open and flow in a fluid manner while also delivering on our mandate to protect the health, safety and security of Canadians. We do that through this layered approach by making sure that we get the data for goods that are coming in or goods that require permits to leave the country so that we can review the data and then take action to examine goods when required.

Agriculture committee  Thank you for the question. From a border perspective, the way we respond is that all importers must provide information on the goods prior to their arrival in Canada. They are then risk-assessed, and we may issue targets that interdict shipments at the border to prevent them from coming into the country.

Agriculture committee  We use a range of technologies. We're exploring how to gather data better to make sure that importers are sending us the right data. It's system we use called the single window initiative, which allows us to gather all of the import data so that it can then be reviewed by the CFIA prior to the goods coming into the country.

Agriculture committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. Good afternoon, honourable members of the committee. We appreciate the opportunity to speak to the roles and responsibilities of the Canada Border Services Agency in identifying and combatting biosecurity threats to agriculture at our borders. In managing the border, the CBSA works closely with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to ensure that goods that may pose a biosecurity threat to Canada are interdicted at the earliest opportunity.

Fisheries committee  I'll lay out how it works at the border. We would receive the data ahead of time from legitimate importers or brokers. Our automated systems and our analysts would then review the goods, including fish, coming into Canada. If there was illegal fish coming in, it's unlikely they would have all of the permits and requirements and documents that CFIA requires legitimate traders to have.

Fisheries committee  I'm not aware of any centralized discussion focused uniquely on traceability that the CBSA participates in, but we do have frequent bilateral discussions with CFIA and with DFO regarding their specific regulations and how we apply them at the border.

Fisheries committee  We're always concerned about illegal goods that are entering the country. We do that at all of our border ports of entry on a regular basis. Our officers are well trained to identify products. In addition to that, the data that is provided to us helps us identify high risk at borders.

Fisheries committee  From a border perspective, of course the rules that the U.S. applies and the rules and regulations that we apply in Canada can be quite different. We certainly speak with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to make sure that the ports of entry are functioning smoothly, but with respect to specific regulations and requirements, that again would be the responsibility of the Food Inspection Agency or Fisheries and Oceans.

Fisheries committee  As the Border Services Agency, we would bring our expertise in how goods are imported or exported out of Canada and the penalties and enforcement regimes that are available under the Customs Act. We would do that in support of the lead departments, as they would be better positioned to lead any discussion about what the exact requirements are and the regime of traceability they would like to see put in place.

Fisheries committee  As a border services agency, we're always interested in discussions with our other government departments that are focused on strengthening the safety and security of Canada and the health of Canadians. We do that on a regular basis. If those departments chose to use a task force type of model or some other type of model, we would continue to support them in that insofar as it reaches back to our mandate.

Fisheries committee  I don't think it would be appropriate for me to comment on the specific nature of a working group. What I would say is that the CBSA meets actively with most of our government partners. We provide them advice on a regular basis. Depending on the form or method that's developed, we would participate and provide advice and border expertise as required within whatever that forum is.

Fisheries committee  I can jump in and answer that. The CBSA is always open to consultation. We consult regularly with industry, importers and brokers across a range of goods that are coming in. Depending, again, on the lead departments and how they would wish to approach it, we would support that as best we can.

Fisheries committee  The criteria for changing how the seafood is analyzed or reported would fall within the regime set by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, or by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. At the Border Services Agency we would be implementing that at the border. I would defer to those other departments to respond on how specifically you might change the criteria with respect to traceability.

Fisheries committee  As part of the CBSA's processing at the borders, we receive information from the importers into our automated systems in advance of the product's arrival. That information is then used by us to conduct a risk assessment, and all goods that are arriving in Canada are risk-assessed, and yes, we do track who the high-risk importers are across a range of goods, based on history, so we know what we need to pay attention to when goods come to cross the border.