Doug Mavin, Colin Sproul and Glenn Kierce made statements and answered questions.

At 12:02 p.m., the meeting was suspended.

At 12:10 p.m., the meeting resumed.

Philippe Archambault and Catherine Rigg made statements and, with James Nickerson, answered questions.

It was agreed, — That the invitation to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, to discuss marine and coastal protections, be sent again.

At 1:00 p.m., the meeting was suspended.

At 1:06 p.m., the meeting resumed in camera.

It was agreed, — That,

(a) the committee recognizes that, (i) small craft harbours are essential infrastructure for a robust and successful fishery, (ii) safe, well maintained small craft harbours assist in fishery operations and improve safety for harvesters, local community members, and individuals who work around the water, (iii) there are concerns from communities and harvesters that the funding process and designs for small craft harbours needs to be streamlined and improved, (iv) this new government was elected to cut red tape and remove barriers for industry so that we can grow one strong Canadian economy;

(b) pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), (i) the committee undertake a six-meeting study on the Small Craft Harbour Program, it’s funding and implementation, the capacity of harbour authorities in managing and delivering small scale upgrades, and improvements that can be made to remove red tape and streamline the program, (ii) the committee reports its findings and recommendations to the House; and

(c) pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee request the government to table a comprehensive response to its report.

It was agreed, — That, before commencing a new study on the Small Craft Harbour Program, the committee request that officials from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and other applicable departments appear for one two-hour meeting to update the committee on actions taken by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the government in response to the 14 recommendations that the committee provided to the government in the committee’s report entitled “Ensuring the Sustainability of the Small Craft Harbours Program” presented in the House of Commons on Thursday, February 28, 2019.

It was agreed, — That, before commencing a new study on Canada’s Atlantic mackerel and herring fisheries, the committee request that officials from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and other applicable departments appear for one two-hour meeting to update the committee on actions taken by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the government in response to the 28 recommendations that the committee sent to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans on Thursday, February 23, 2023 following the committee’s study entitled “Closure of Mackerel Fishing in Atlantic Canada and the Gulf of the St. Lawrence”.

It was agreed, — That,

(a) the committee undertake a study of up to three meetings on the management of recreational and traditional clam fishing (Mya arenaria) in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Chaleur Bay within a maximum period of six months;

(b) the study specifically address (i) the opening of new shellfish harvesting areas in the Baie-des-Chaleurs region and elsewhere in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, (ii) public support for the opening of new sites, (iii) changes in federal resources allocated to recreational and traditional clam fishing since 1980, (iv) the operation of the Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program (CSSP);

(c) the study aims to identify concrete solutions to increase the number of locations open to recreational and traditional harvesting, while ensuring public health and the sustainability of the resource, in particular, through reinvestment in testing programs and improved collaboration with local communities, Indigenous peoples, and municipalities; and

(d) the committee invites representatives from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and the Department of Environment and Climate Change Canada, clam fishermen, representatives of the Mi'kmaq Nation, as well as biologists and other environmental experts working for research centers to appear before it.

At 1:25 p.m., the meeting was suspended.

At 1:30 p.m., the meeting resumed.

It was agreed, — That, following its current study entitled “Marine and Coastal Protections,” the committee shall study concurrently:
(a) the reasons and factors contributing to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans decisions on harvesting seasons’ opening and closing dates, according to the motion passed on Thursday, September 18, 2025;
(b) the management of recreational and traditional clam fishing (Mya arenaria) in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Chaleur Bay, according to the motion passed Monday, February 23, 2026; and
(c) the state of Canada’s Atlantic mackerel and herring fisheries, according to the motion passed on Monday, February 9, 2026.