SoVote

May/30/22 9:03:50 p.m.
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Madam Chair, we are working on a responsible plan to transition away from open net-pen salmon aquaculture. I have had many consultations with indigenous communities, with industry and with environmental organizations. We need to do this in a responsible—

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Context: House Hansard - 77 - May/30/22

Ms. Lisa Marie Barron

May/30/22 9:04:16 p.m.
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Madam Chair, does the minister agree that the fact that DFO is still reviewing applications for expansion to aquaculture facilities raises serious doubts about the government's commitment to remove open-net fish farms from B.C. waters?

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Context: House Hansard - 77 - May/30/22

Hon. Joyce Murray

May/30/22 9:04:28 p.m.
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Madam Chair, what I will say is that we are utterly committed to developing a responsible plan to transition away from open net-pen salmon aquaculture in British Columbia. We need to do that because we—

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Context: House Hansard - 77 - May/30/22

Mr. Mark Gerretsen

May/30/22 10:46:13 p.m.
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That is another great ruling by you, Mr. Chair. The commercial and recreational fishing sectors are also key economic drivers in coastal communities. Ocean-based recreational fisheries contribute approximately 2% to Canada's marine economy output and are important economic pillars. Whether they are large or small-scale operations, commercial fishing and associated businesses are often the single-largest sources of local jobs in Canada's coastal regions. In 2018, the commercial fishing industry directly contributed $2.3 billion to Canadian gross domestic product, while the aquaculture industry directly contributed $700 million and the fish processing industry contributed $1.2 billion. The total direct and indirect contribution of the seafood industry to the Canadian economy accounted for $7.6 billion in 2018. Canada's commercial fishery sector is highly export-oriented, producing the country's greatest single food commodity export by value and equivalent to about 80% of production volume. Commercial fisheries also support fish and seafood processing, which are key parts of the value chain and significant employers in indigenous and other coastal communities. An estimated 20,400 individuals are directly employed in fish and seafood processing, with an additional 32,167 indirect jobs stemming from the industry. Canada's fish harvesters have responded to growing demands from markets to demonstrate that their fish products come from sustainable fisheries. Across Canada, there are approximately 45 fisheries that are part of 32 marine stewardship council certifications, having demonstrated that they meet the criteria established by the global—

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Context: House Hansard - 77 - May/30/22

Mr. Mark Gerretsen

May/30/22 10:52:13 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, we can already see the benefits from the modern safeguards that the Fisheries Act provides. Just last month, on April 4, to be precise, the fish stock provisions of the Fisheries Act came into force for 30 major stocks prescribed by regulation, 14 of which require rebuilding. The provisions introduced binding obligations on the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans to maintain prescribed fish stocks at sustainable levels and to develop and implement rebuilding plans if these stocks become depleted. Corresponding regulations are now in place to ensure that rebuilding plans are developed in a timely and consistent manner. The fish stock provisions and corresponding regulatory amendments have significantly strengthened Canada's fisheries management framework. They are a major milestone toward restoring and rebuilding Canada's fish stocks and supporting sustainable fisheries for the long term. These accomplishments support the already great work that Fisheries and Oceans Canada and its partners have been doing to rebuild our fish stocks and place greater accountability on the responsible management of our fisheries for generations to come. This government is committed to restoring Canada's fish stocks to abundance so that they can continue to support indigenous peoples, harvesters, coastal communities and the overall health of marine ecosystems. Healthy fish stocks support more resilient ecosystems while improving the potential for economic returns in the long term. When a stock has declined, conservation of the stock and concrete action aimed at rebuilding it are of primary importance. Of course, this does not come without a cost. This government recognizes that when a decision is taken to close or restrict certain fisheries so that stocks can be rebuilt, there will be economic impacts during the rebuilding period. These decisions are not taken lightly. The DFO strives to minimize the socio-economic impacts and rebuild initiatives without compromising the primary goal of promoting the rebuilding of depleted fish stocks. In practice, this is an enormous and complicated undertaking. However, more significant and potentially long-term impacts can result from delaying action, or not taking sufficient action, to promote the rebuilding of stocks. DFO will continue to invest in its science programming to ensure fishery decisions based on the precautionary approach continue to be informed by leading science advice on the biology of fish stocks and environmental variables affecting those stocks. The 2018 fall economic statement announced $107.4 million over five years and $17.6 million in ongoing investments to support the implementation of the fish stocks provisions in the 2019 amendments to the Fisheries Act. A large portion of this funding is supporting science activities, from at-sea surveys to the development of reference points to apply the precautionary approach to fishery decisions. Further, DFO is funding external projects to support innovation in fisheries and science that will contribute to sustainable fisheries. Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and this government more broadly, continue to be firmly committed to safeguarding the long-term viability of Canada's fisheries and coastal communities by ensuring the health of Canada's fish stocks and aquatic ecosystems. For communities across Canada, fish are an important resource. Commercial and recreational fishing sectors are key economic drivers in coastal communities, with ocean-based recreational fisheries contributing about 2% to Canada's marine economy output. Harvesting operations both large and small are often the single largest source of local jobs in Canada's coastal regions. In 2018 alone, the commercial fishing industry contributed $2.3 billion to Canada's gross domestic product, with the aquaculture industry contributing $700 million and the fish processing industry contributing $1.2 billion. The total direct and indirect contribution of the seafood industry to the Canadian economy accounted for $7.6 billion. This industry provides an estimated 20,400 individuals with direct employment in fish and seafood processing, with an additional 32,167 indirect jobs stemming from the industry. With this in mind, it is easy to see why the fishing industry is so important to not just coastal communities, but indeed to Canada as a whole, which is why I have such a great interest in this tonight. Can the minister please explain what she is doing to ensure the long-term sustainability and viability of the commercial fishing sector?

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Context: House Hansard - 77 - May/30/22

Hon. Joyce Murray

May/30/22 11:35:07 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, the licences that were not renewed in the Discovery Islands were before my time as minister. I have the responsibility to develop a responsible plan for transitioning away from open net-pen aquaculture.

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Context: House Hansard - 77 - May/30/22

Ms. Elizabeth May

May/30/22 11:54:17 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, I will move to the problem of what people call aquaculture but my constituents insist I call toxic fish factories, and how we are going to get them out of the water, as the minister's government promised. Some of the witnesses who testified recently on the science issue questioned why the department, not the minister personally, obviously, has in certain sections suppressed science on viruses and sea lice. The conclusion was that it had to do with the fact that the Fisheries Act structurally has a conflict of interest in both promoting the aquaculture industry and regulating it. Would the minister be open to looking at the new aquaculture act to eliminate that conflict of interest, have a different department promote aquaculture and have DFO protect wild fish stocks?

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Context: House Hansard - 77 - May/31/22

Mr. Gord Johns

May/31/22 12:03:45 a.m.
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Mr. Chair, the installation of intensive subtidal geoduck aquaculture is proposed for the herring spawning grounds in Lambert Channel which, according to Department of Fisheries and Oceans records, are the source of 38% of all the herring spawn that has ever occurred on the B.C. coast and would support the whole Strait of Georgia marine ecosystem. Will the minister put the protection of the spawning habitat of this keystone species ahead of the installation of industrial aquaculture and save it from the inevitable cumulative damage that would follow?

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