FOPO Committee News Release

NEWS RELEASE

 

FISHERIES AND OCEANS COMMITTEE HIGHLIGHTS ACCOMPLISHMENTS

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Ottawa, June 17, 2003 – Mr. Tom Wappel, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, today issued highlights of the Committee’s accomplishments during the second session of the 37^th Parliament. 

 

“This has been a very busy session for our Committee,” said Mr. Wappel.  “Not only did we complete all of our unfinished business from the previous session, but we undertook and completed a comprehensive report on aquatic invasive species, and began work on three challenging issues: the Coast Guard, the East Coast fishery and mapping of the ocean floor.”

 

Since the Committee began its work in November 2002, it has held 48 meetings, totalling almost 90 hours, and heard from 137 witnesses.  The Committee has issued six reports, four of which were unanimous, addressing such topics as foreign overfishing on the East Coast, the management of the Fraser River salmon fishery on the West Coast and the threat of invasive species in the Great Lakes.  After more than three years of work, the Committee completed its comprehensive study on aquaculture in Canada and tabled a report to the House.  The Committee also reported on difficulties within the Canadian Coast Guard Marine Communications and Traffic Services and held several meetings to conduct a detailed examination of the Main Estimates of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

 

In May 2003, the Committee travelled to Gaspé, St. John’s, Halifax and Moncton to hear from witnesses on a wide variety of topics related to Atlantic fisheries, including the impact of the closure of the cod fisheries in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and off Newfoundland and Labrador and the recent conflicts in the crab fishery.

 

“Having the Committee travel to Atlantic Canada at the height of tensions in the crab and cod fisheries went a long way toward diffusing the volatility that existed, by allowing fishers and fishing organizations to talk directly to Members of Parliament in a pragmatic way,” said Mr. Peter Stoffer, Opposition Vice-Chair of the Committee.  The Committee hopes to complete a report on the subject in the Fall session. 

 

The Committee has just begun a comprehensive study of the Canadian Coast Guard and will be travelling to several European countries in September to learn about different ways of organizing coast guard activities and to review fisheries management practices in other countries.  During this trip, members of the Committee will also be speaking to officials and parliamentarians about its proposal for a custodial management regime to protect fragile fish stocks on the Nose and Tail of the Grand Banks and on the Flemish Cap.  As well, the Committee began a study on the surveying of Canada’s ocean floor, and will be hearing from departmental officials on the topic in the Fall.

 

Finally, the Fall session will include the Committee’s detailed review of the comprehensive responses to its reports, issued by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and supplementary actions thereon, if the Committee is so advised.

 

The Committee’s reports and meeting transcripts are available on the Parliament of Canada’s web site at: .  Copies can also be obtained by contacting the Clerk of the Standing Committee.

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Members of the Committee are: Tom Wappel, Chairman (Scarborough Southwest, ON); Bill Matthews, Vice-Chair (Burin—St. George’s, NL); Peter Stoffer, Vice-Chair (Sackville—Musquodoboit Valley—Eastern Shore, NS); Andy Burton (Skeena, BC); John Cummins (Delta—South Richmond, BC); Rodger Cuzner (Bras d’Or—Cape Breton, NS); R. John Efford (Bonavista—Trinity—Conception, NL); Reed Elley (Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC); Georges Farrah (Bonaventure—Gaspé—Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Pabok, QC); Ghislain Fournier (Manicouagan, QC); Loyola Hearn (St. John’s West, NL); Dominic LeBlanc (Beauséjour—Petitcodiac, NB); Joe Peschisolido (Richmond, BC); Carmen Provenzano (Sault Ste. Marie, ON); Jean-Yves Roy (Matapédia—Matane, QC); Bob Wood (Nippissing, ON). 

 

For further information, please contact:

 

Tom Wappel, Chairman	Jeremy LeBlanc, Clerk
Tel: (613) 995-0284	Tel: (613) 996-3105
Fax: (613) 996-6309	Fax: (613) 996-1626
E-mail: Wappel.T@parl.gc.ca	E-mail:  FOPO@parl.gc.ca
	Website:  www.parl.gc.ca