44th Parl. 1st Sess.
May 30, 2022 11:00AM
- May/30/22 8:27:11 p.m.
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Unfortunately, the time is up.
Resuming debate, the hon. Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.
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- May/30/22 8:37:51 p.m.
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Madam Chair, as the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans, my role is to support and grow the fish and seafood sector. To do that we need to have abundant and vibrant fisheries. In DFO, we are thinking every day about how we can make sure we have the science, the partnerships and the discussions with all of those affected, whether it is the harvesters or the indigenous communities, so we can allocate out fisheries in a way that is supportive of the communities, the fish processing sector and our very important seafood sector, and to do it in a way that builds on the health and abundance of our fisheries even as we protect and restore the abundance of those that are challenged.
There are many hard-working people in the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. This is the work that they get up excited to do every day on behalf of the Canadians who live in the small and rural communities and work in the fish plants, on the ships at sea and on the wharves, so I want to use this opportunity to thank not just my officials, but also those who do this very hard work out on the oceans and in the fish plants.
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- May/30/22 9:06:57 p.m.
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Madam Chair, the government has recognized that plastics pose a significant threat to our oceans, as mentioned in the minister's intervention.
Can the minister commit that polystyrene products will be included as pollutants in the oceans protection plan?
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- May/30/22 9:07:34 p.m.
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Madam Chair, in the wake of the MV Zim Kingston cargo spill last year, we heard countless stories of the government failing to collaborate with indigenous communities and local experts.
Can the government commit that the expanded oceans protection plan will include an integrated and timely response that works in collaboration with these groups?
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- May/30/22 9:09:13 p.m.
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Madam Chair, we have reviewed the fisheries and oceans committee report on this matter. We are undertaking a study of the beneficial ownership of all of the players on the west coast so that we can analyze that and decide what steps need to be taken.
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- May/30/22 9:39:45 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, the minister has had ample opportunity to address this issue. The Cohen commission has been around for 10 years, yet the government is still planning to delay the process, putting many of our anglers at risk.
How many full-time equivalent positions are there at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans?
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- May/30/22 9:40:12 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, for everybody out there, that was 14,000.
Total spending for Fisheries and Oceans Canada increased by 42.3% between 2016-17 and 2020-21, yet we have heard across the board that service levels are at all-time lows. Why?
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- May/30/22 9:40:32 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, the complexity of DFO's mandate is only increasing, especially with the potential pipeline and tanker traffic. We have invested a lot in protecting the oceans through the oceans protection plan.
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- May/30/22 9:40:52 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, over that same period we have seen full-time positions at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans increase by 30%, and the minister has already acknowledged the 14,000 positions, yet we see very little in effective enforcement in British Columbia, which is the reason gillnets are still catching threatened stocks in our waters. Why?
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- May/30/22 10:13:09 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, it is a pleasure to rise in the House to talk about this important issue. Of course, my riding of Milton is part of the Great Lakes watershed. I spent a lot of time on the water in and around my region, so I have a keen interest in this issue. I appreciate the minister's time and being available to us.
I am thankful for the opportunity to talk about marine-protected areas, or MPAs for the sake of shortening that for this speech, and how vital they are to conserving Canada's rich endowment of marine biodiversity and as a nature-based solution to climate change.
Canada stands proud following the achievement of our 10% marine conservation target in 2020. It is a commitment that Canada and many other parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity have made. Over the past seven years, Canada has conserved more marine and coastal areas than at any other time in history, with almost 14% protection across the Atlantic, Arctic and Pacific oceans, up from less than 1% in 2015.
In July of 2020, Canada joined the Global Ocean Alliance, which seeks to protect at least 30% of the world's oceans by 2030. Through this alliance, we have joined like-minded countries to advocate for the international adoption of a “30 by 30” marine conservation target under the Convention on Biological Diversity at the 15th conference of the parties in September. The government remains steadfast in our renewed efforts to conserve 25% by 2025 and 30% by 2030. We have invested almost a billion dollars to establish new protected areas, to effectively manage existing areas, and to enhance our collaborative efforts with indigenous peoples, provinces, territories, local communities and others. We need to halt and reverse the loss of our marine biodiversity for many reasons, and I am pleased to outline some of those today.
Let me first describe the importance of MPAs. MPAs support healthy marine ecosystems and special features such as underwater canyons, glass sponge reefs, concentrations of corals and hydrothermal vents. These ecosystems provide a range of important ecological, economic and socio-cultural benefits, including biodiversity, improved water quality, support to fisheries inside and outside their boundaries, and new opportunities for education, research and tourism. MPAs help sustain the ecosystems, marine species and biological resources that are relied upon by sustainable industries, local economies and coastal communities, and also support cultural and recreational activities and provide a wealth of spiritual, religious and other non-material benefits.
MPAs can provide many socio-economic benefits as well. They provide a foundation for community-based partnerships and employment opportunities, and where possible they enable new tourism and recreational opportunities. As we establish MPAs, we work with partners and stakeholders to distribute any economic impacts to marine industries in a balanced manner through socio-economic analysis, consultation and collaboration. Planning our ocean spaces collaboratively is the cornerstone of our marine spatial planning efforts. By working with our partners, we can ensure that our ambitious marine conservation goals are met while we simultaneously grow the blue economy.
The science is clear, and Canadians are clear, that we must continue taking strong and serious action on climate change. Canada recognizes that conservation is not only about achieving targets: MPAs must be effectively designed and efficiently managed over the long term so they achieve their conservation objectives. That is why, in 2018, Canada asked a national advisory panel comprised of seven prominent Canadians, including Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, prior to her appointment as Governor General, to travel across this country to hear from politicians, stakeholders and other concerned Canadians to gather their perspectives on how to better establish and manage MPAs. It is also why in 2019, embracing the advice of this panel, Canada announced a new MPA production standard that prohibited oil and gas exploration and exploitation, mining, dumping and bottom trawling in all future federal MPAs.
Beyond supporting ecosystems and species, MPAs make meaningful contributions to the advancement of reconciliation and renewing Canada's relationship with indigenous peoples based on the recognition of rights, respect, co-operation and partnership. Indigenous peoples are partners in conservation planning and management, and our MPAs will continue to respect constitutionally protected indigenous and treaty rights. Our government will continue to look for opportunities to strengthen partnerships with indigenous peoples, and will embed indigenous knowledge with other sciences and MPA planning and design, governance and management.
Let me tell members about the Anguniaqvia niqiqyuam MPA in Darnley Bay. This large inlet, within the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, is one of the most important ecological and cultural regions in Canada's western Arctic.
Its conservation objectives are to maintain the habitat that supports species such as beluga whales, Arctic char, ringed and bearded seals, polar bears and sea birds. This area is also culturally important for the Inuvialuit. They have a strong connection to the land and sea that is vital to their health and well-being, and the Inuvialuit actively harvest traditional food throughout the MPA with two-thirds of the adult population engaging in hunting and fishing. Harvesting activities not only provide an important source of food, but also a means of passing traditional knowledge, skills and cultural pride to the youth of the community. This MPA was collaboratively established with the Inuvialuit and others. Its ongoing governance is with the Fisheries Joint Management Committee and the community of Paulatuk.
We are also continuing to advance conservation networks across priority marine bioregions. As we all know, our regions are interconnected and ecologically linked. Oceans are living, breathing wonders that rely on complex networks of ecosystems to survive, and through the planning and implementation of conservation networks, we can help to preserve the important ecological linkages between one area and another. MPAs and conservation networks contribute to a healthy marine environment by helping to conserve and protect marine species and habitats. They also help to protect the diversity of ecosystems upon which marine organisms depend.
Canada's vision for a sustainable blue economy supports the growth of ocean sectors that provide jobs, are inclusive, advance reconciliation with indigenous peoples and respect regional differences and needs. By creating MPAs and therefore advancing marine spatial planning, we can also ensure that regional priorities, whether those are economic, environmental or social, are reflected in our planning efforts. Marine spatial planning is a key enabler of achieving our blue economy goals, because we recognize that a sustainable blue economy depends on healthy oceans and must be supported by a world-leading conservation plan.
How will we meet this new ambitious 30% marine conservation target together by 2030? We will continue to establish new MPAs and marine refuges while effectively managing those we already have. We will continue to collaborate and build on the many meaningful partnerships already in place and will establish new ones with provincial, territorial and indigenous governments, industry and local communities. We will advance conservation in a marine spatial planning context to achieve socio-economic and cultural objectives as conservation objectives. Finally, we will ensure that our work remains grounded in science, indigenous knowledge and local perspectives.
In closing, I would like to acknowledge that the nationwide, all-hands-on effort it has taken to achieve what we have today is so important. Canada is a maritime nation, today and in future generations. Protecting the oceans is not just for the now; it is also a long-term commitment for everyone to enjoy and receive all of the benefits. It is important for everyone to learn more about protecting our oceans through MPAs and the role they play in climate action, advancing reconciliation with indigenous groups, supporting coastal communities and providing insurance for the availability of biological resources for future economic growth.
Thank you, and I have a couple of questions for the minister.
My first question to the minister is about nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies. Would the minister please explain the benefit of some of our nature-based solutions?
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- May/30/22 10:39:45 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, I appreciate the minister's gracious invitation.
Does the minister know how much more productive Norway's oceans are than ours?
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- May/30/22 10:39:59 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, I do not know that there is a metric for ocean productivity. It is my job to have our oceans be as productive, diverse and healthy as possible.
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- May/30/22 10:40:12 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, Norway's oceans are 7.5 times more productive than ours and it might have something to do with its much lower pinniped populations. Recently, the minister admitted seals eat fish.
Does the minister know how much capelin that harp seals alone consume in Atlantic Canada each year?
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- May/30/22 10:43:25 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, I hope that my Conservative colleagues from across the way will be okay with another non-coastal MP having an interest in fisheries and oceans. I hope it is not implied that Conservatives, particularly our coastal MPs, have a monopoly over this issue, but I certainly am looking forward to participating today. I would like to take this opportunity—
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- May/30/22 11:06:12 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, I appreciate the member's enthusiasm for the volunteers of the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary, which I share. The work that these volunteers do with local partners is very important.
Canada's oceans protection plan includes funding that will allow us to support and strengthen this initiative.
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- May/30/22 11:10:10 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, can Fisheries and Oceans Canada tell us how many quota transfer violations are under review at this time?
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- May/30/22 11:30:49 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, it is the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the minister who signs off. I am responsible.
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- May/30/22 11:36:17 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, what level of importance does the minister place on the work of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans?
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- May/30/22 11:57:10 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, I am moving on to southern resident killer whales. By the way, one of my constituents whom the minister will also know, the Hon. Pat Carney, has said for many years that we do not have an oceans protection plan but an oceans protection wish list. I would like to see an oceans protection plan and not just a pile of money and a list of things to do.
In relation to southern resident killer whales in my riding, the interim sanctuary zones around Pender and Saturna have been there since 2019. Nobody has ever been charged and nobody has ever been ticketed. There have been numerous violations. The local volunteers and whale-sighting groups have now established that whales are present year-round, yet this seasonal so-called sanctuary zone is only operating June 1 to November 30.
Is the minister willing to look at the new science and recognize that whales are present year-round?
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- May/30/22 11:58:36 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, with the threat of ocean acidification as a result of the increased atmospheric carbon creating carbonic acid and threatening life in the oceans, is DFO currently measuring pH levels on all of our coastlines to keep track of ocean acidification?
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