Aaron Hill s made a statement.

At 3:41 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 3:42 p.m., the sitting resumed.

Greg Knox made statement.

At 3:47 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 3:48 p.m., the sitting resumed.

Greg Taylor made a statement.

Mel Arnold moved, — That the committee expresses its deep disappointment that the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard has declined five requests to appear before the committee to answer questions on important matters related to her portfolio, and that this be reported back to the House.

Debate arose thereon.

It was agreed, — That the debate be now adjourned.

The witnesses answered questions.

At 4:11 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 4:15 p.m., the sitting resumed.

By unanimous consent, on motion of Caroline Desbiens, it was agreed, — That, as part of the present study on the criteria used by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to set redfish fishing quotas, the committee invite Ms. Sylvie Lapointe, President of the Atlantic Groundfish Council, to testify and answer questions from members of this committee for one hour; that, as part of this study, the committee invite the Minister of the Environment, Steven Guilbeault, for one hour to answer questions from members of this committee; that this meeting be held prior to the drafting of the report on this study.

Rick Perkins moved, — That the committee resume the adjourned debate on his motion moved on Thursday, April 18, 2024.

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

YEAS: Mel Arnold, Lisa Marie Barron, Caroline Desbiens, Greg McLean, Rob Moore, Rick Perkins — 6;

NAYS: Serge Cormier, Brendan Hanley, Ken Hardie, Mike Kelloway, Robert J. Morrissey — 5.

The committee resumed consideration of the motion of Rick Perkins moved on Thursday, April 18, 2024, which read as follows:

That, regarding Minister Diane Lebouthillier's decision to close the legal elver harvest of 2024, the committee finds that: (a) banning legal fishing does not stop poaching; (b) closing the elver fishery has not decreased criminal activity and violence in Nova Scotia as evidenced by the witnesses who have come forward to the committee to detail continued violence and lawlessness in their communities, including arson, assault, and attempted murder; (c) closing the elver fishery has resulted in 1,100 job losses, harming rural Nova Scotian communities and the fishing industry as a whole, when Canadians are struggling with a cost-of-living crisis created by this government; and (d) that current DFO and RCMP enforcement efforts allocated by the Minister remain insufficient and have not put a halt to the violence or poaching; and, given these findings, the committee therefore agrees to report these findings to the House, and call on the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard to immediately re-open the elver fishery.

and of the amendment of Mike Kelloway moved on Thursday, April 18, 2024, which read as follows:

That the motion be amended by replacing the words in subparagraph (a) with the words “the elver fishery is a unique public safety and law enforcement environment with considerations including Indigenous treaty rights to fish that complicate attempts to stop unauthorized fishing”; by deleting subparagraph (b); by deleting the words "created by this government" in subparagraph (c); by replacing the words in subparagraph (d) with the words “the federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, and the provincial ministers of public safety, justice, and fisheries and aquaculture, are working hard and in collaboration across jurisdiction to ensure that public safety is maintained in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick this elver season”; and, by replacing the words “and call on the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Canadian Coast Guard, to immediately re-open the elver fishery” with the words “that this committee call on the government to accelerate the adoption of new regulations for the elver fishery so that the 2025 season can open as scheduled”.

At 4:46 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 4:49 p.m., the sitting resumed.

At 4:53 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 4:54 p.m., the sitting resumed.

At 4:57 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 5:01 p.m., the sitting resumed.

At 5:02 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 5:08 p.m., the sitting resumed.

The question was put on the motion, as amended, and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Mel Arnold, Lisa Marie Barron, Caroline Desbiens, Greg McLean, Rick Perkins, Clifford Small — 6;

NAYS: Serge Cormier, Brendan Hanley, Ken Hardie, Mike Kelloway, Robert J. Morrissey — 5.

The motion, as amended, read as follows:

That, regarding Minister Diane Lebouthillier decision to close the legal elver harvest of 2024, the committee finds that:

(a) banning legal fishing does not stop poaching;

(b) since the closure of the elver fishery, criminal activity and violence has not decreased as evidenced by the witnesses who have come forward to the committee to detail continued violence and lawlessness in their communities, including arson, assault, and attempted murder;

(c) according to witnesses, closing the elver fishery has resulted in 1100 job losses, harming rural Nova Scotian communities and the fishing industry as a whole, when Canadians are struggling with a cost-of-living crisis created by this government;

(d) that current DFO and RCMP enforcement efforts allocated by the Minister remain insufficient and have not put a halt to the violence or poaching;

(e) that, as part of a reopening, a crisis unit be set up beforehand made up of the various intervention units concerned, border agency, coast guard, public security agency, scientific representation and legal fishermen, to act not only in observation and surveillance but also to act in protection and intervention in the event of force majeure to promote a resumption of fishing that is adequate, egalitarian and ensuring increased safety;

and, given these findings, the committee therefore agrees to report these findings to the House, and call on the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans, and Canadian Coast Guard to do the work required across jurisdictions to make sure that public safety is maintained, First Nations moderate livelihood rights are protected, and a plan is developed for the long-term sustainability of the elver fishery, and to immediately re-open the elver fishery.

At 5:20 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 5:24 p.m., the sitting resumed in camera.