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FOPO Committee Meeting

Notices of Meeting include information about the subject matter to be examined by the committee and date, time and place of the meeting, as well as a list of any witnesses scheduled to appear. The Evidence is the edited and revised transcript of what is said before a committee. The Minutes of Proceedings are the official record of the business conducted by the committee at a sitting.

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Minutes of Proceedings

Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans (FOPO)

42nd Parliament, 1st Session

Meeting 147

Monday, May 27, 2019, 3:29 p.m. to 4:53 p.m.

Room 425, Wellington Building, 197 Sparks Street

Presiding

Ken McDonald, Chair (Liberal)

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Members of the Committee present

Liberal

Conservative

Acting Members present

• Fin Donnelly for Gord Johns (NDP)

• Alaina Lockhart for Pat Finnigan (Liberal)

In attendance

Library of Parliament

• Michael Chalupovitsch, Analyst

• Thai Nguyen, Analyst

Bill S-238, An Act to amend the Fisheries Act and the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act (importation and exportation of shark fins)

Witnesses

Department of the Environment

• Carolina Caceres, Manager, International Biodiversity, Canadian Wildlife Service

Department of Fisheries and Oceans

• Paul Gillis, Director General, Strategic Policy

Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development

• Doug Forsyth, Director General, Market Access

• Helen Fytche, Director, Procurement, Trade and Environment

Pursuant to the Order of Reference of Wednesday, May 1, 2019, the Committee commenced consideration of Bill S-238, An Act to amend the Fisheries Act and the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act (importation and exportation of shark fins).

Paul Gillis made a statement and, with Carolina Caceres, Doug Forsyth and Helen Fytche, answered questions.

Motion

Blaine Calkins moved, — That, whereas the public fishery in British Columbia contributes $1.1 billion to Canada’s economy, and whereas the public fishery in British Columbia provides 9,000 jobs while benefiting 300,000 annual license holders, their families and businesses connected to the public fishery’s activities and tourism-related spending, and whereas since 2016, the public fishery in British Columbia has been damaged by unrelenting reductions of access to fisheries caused by the federal government’s preference to close fisheries rather than support balanced fishery enhancement and habitat restoration to grow fishery populations, that the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans undertake a study of the socio-economic impact of the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans’ decisions to close the recreational fishing of chinook salmon to fully understand the impact of this decision on small businesses and coastal communities; and, as part of its study, the Committee travel to the west coast to meet with those impacted including small businesses that have had decrease staff numbers due to the reduction of opportunities in the public fishery; and, as part of its study, the Committee assess other measures that could deliver increases in chinook salmon stocks.

Debate arose thereon.

The question was put on the motion and it was negatived on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Mel Arnold, Blaine Calkins, Todd Doherty, Fin Donnelly — 4;

NAYS: Colin Fraser, Ken Hardie, Alaina Lockhart, Robert J. Morrissey, Churence Rogers — 5.

At 4:26 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 4:31 p.m., the sitting resumed in camera.

Committee Business

The Committee proceeded to the consideration of matters related to Committee business.

It was agreed, — That the Committee hold a one-hour briefing on steelhead salmon in the Fraser River on Wednesday, June 5, 2019.

It was agreed, — That, in relation to the briefing on steelhead salmon in the Fraser River, the Members of the Committee submit to the Clerk of the Committee their list of suggested witnesses no later than 5:00 p.m., on Thursday, May 30, 2019.

It was agreed, — That, in relation to the study on enforcement of the Fisheries Act, the Members of the Committee submit to the Clerk of the Committee their list of suggested witnesses no later than 5:00 p.m., on Tuesday, June 4, 2019.

At 4:53 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.

Angela Crandall

Committee Clerk