44th Parl. 1st Sess.
May 30, 2022 11:00AM
Mr. Chair, is the minister aware of Bill C-251 and has she familiarized herself with the contents?
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Mr. Chair, yes, I am familiar with Bill C-251.
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Mr. Chair, will the minister support the conservation of fish stocks and vote for Bill C-251?
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Mr. Chair, Bill C-251 poses some challenges. It calls on actions that the government would have to take. It would cost $30 million—
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- May/30/22 10:42:54 p.m.
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That is all the time we have.
We have a point of order from the hon. member for South Shore—St. Margarets.
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- May/30/22 10:43:01 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, I believe you are about a minute short because of the point of order that was going on with the member for Kingston and the Islands. I do not think it was included in that.
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- May/30/22 10:43:09 p.m.
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As far as I know, the timing stopped during that debate. We are just going back to look at it, and I can confirm that we had stopped for that, so it was not included in the time.
Resuming debate, we have the hon. parliamentary secretary.
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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 10:43:50 p.m.
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There is a point of order by the hon. member for Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies.
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- May/30/22 10:43:57 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, I would ask the member to get to the relevance of whether he is from a coastal community or an inland community in his time tonight. I would ask him to clarify.
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- May/30/22 10:44:04 p.m.
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If we are declaring whether we are coastal or not, I am a coastal member as well.
The hon. parliamentary secretary.
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- May/30/22 10:44:09 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, I was just extremely offended by the fact that the member would suggest that because I live on a lake that has a couple of islands on it, somehow I would not be qualified to speak on this. That is where my concern was coming from, but I am glad we cleared that up.
I would like to take this opportunity to highlight some of the work that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada has undertaken to advance one of the key commitments outlined in the minister's mandate letter. I would like to speak specifically to the actions taken to support biology-sustainable, stable, prosperous fisheries so that fish and fish habitats are protected for future generations and Canada's fisheries can continue to grow the economy and sustain coastal communities.
We all know that the long-term success and profitability of commercial fishing sectors rely on the health of fish stocks and the aquatic ecosystems in which they live. Beyond the intrinsic value of healthy fish populations and ecosystems, we also understand how important the fisheries industry is to Canada's economy and the prosperity of coastal communities. For communities across the country, fish are an important source of food and fishing activities are a key part of the cultural fabric, especially for indigenous communities, many of which are located adjacent to fishing sites. Harvesting activities are of great social, cultural, spiritual and economic importance. Indigenous peoples seek an increase in economic—
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- May/30/22 10:45:37 p.m.
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I believe there is another point of order by the hon. member for Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies.
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- May/30/22 10:45:39 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, again, with respect, the member was speaking once again as though only coastal communities have relevance in this conversation. I would like him to recognize that there are many non-coastal communities that appreciate the fisheries and what they provide to Canada. Maybe he could clarify what he is talking about.
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- May/30/22 10:46:03 p.m.
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We are using points of order for debate, and I would suggest that maybe points of order are actually used.
The hon. member for Kingston and the Islands.
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- 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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- May/30/22 10:48:04 p.m.
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It seems there is another point of order by the hon. member for Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies.
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- May/30/22 10:48:08 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, this is supposed the time that we question the minister about her portfolio. I have not heard a question yet. I wonder when we are going to actually hear some questions from the member.
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- May/30/22 10:48:17 p.m.
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The tradition in this House has normally been that when government members are speaking, they get to speak and ask questions in the last five minutes of their time. I am going to wait until the 10 minutes is complete and the member, I am sure, will be asking a question.
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- May/30/22 10:48:30 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, the member certainly should review the rules around the committee of the whole and estimates, which actually provides any member either the opportunity to speak for the entire 15 minutes, asking questions, or to provide 10 minutes of a speech, followed by questions. I am sure the member knew that and he just forgot.
Canada's fish harvesters have responded to the growing demands for markets to demonstrate that the fish products come from sustainable fisheries. Across Canada, there are approximately 45 fisheries that are a part of 32 Marine Stewardship Council certifications, having demonstrated that they meet the criteria established by the global non-profit organization for sustainable fisheries. These include Atlantic fisheries such as northern and striped shrimp, offshore scallops, lobster, Arctic surf clams, snow crab, swordfish and groundfish, Atlantic halibut, cod, redfish and herring and Pacific fisheries such as salmon, Pacific halibut and more.
Moreover, 61% of all landings from Canada's fisheries come from fisheries in the MSC program. It is one of the highest percentages among major fishing nations. The long-term sustainability and success of the commercial fishing sector is directly linked to the health of fish stocks. Growing pressure on fish stocks and environmental impacts, such as the dual crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, pose current and future challenges for Canadian fisheries. Many harvesters will say that they can see the impacts of climate change out on the water. While some stocks in Canadian waters, such as lobster and halibut, appear to be benefiting from current environmental conditions, some commercially significant marine fish stocks in Canada are at low levels or at risk of decline.
With the modernization of the Fisheries Act in 2019, our government created new tools to continue to promote healthier marine ecosystems and more abundant fish stocks across the country. The Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard now has the legislative and regulatory mechanisms in place to protect existing fish and fish habitat, prioritize rebuilding depleted fish stocks and incorporate indigenous traditional knowledge into decision-making—
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