Questions and responses 45th Parliament, 1st session May 26, 2025, to present

With regard to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, excluding the Canadian Coast Guard, since January 1, 2021: (a) what was the total value of all consulting contracts signed in (i) 2021, (ii) 2022, (iii) 2023, (iv) 2024, (v) 2025 to date; and (b) what are the details of all consulting contracts, including, for each, the (i) date, (ii) vendor, (iii) initial value of the contract, (iv) current value of the contract, (v) type of consulting conducted, (vi) start and end dates of work, (vii) purpose of the contract and description of the work completed, (viii) reason for the increase in the contract's value, if applicable?

With regard to the cost of living allowance for Department of Fisheries and Oceans employees: what is the exact method used to calculate the cost of living allowance for Department of Fisheries and Oceans employees in remote areas, specifically the Sept-Îles region, as of January 2026?

With regard to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans' enforcement of the Fisheries Act and associated regulations governing fisheries, for each year since January 1, 2016: (a) how many conservation and protection personnel have been deployed for enforcement activities in each of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans' seven operating regions; (b) how many persons have been charged in each region with offences as a result of conservation and protection enforcement activities; (c) how many charges have been laid in each region as a result of conservation and protection enforcement activities; (d) how many charges in each region were related to illegal, unreported or unregulated fishing; and (e) how many persons charged with offences have been convicted of charges in each region?

With regard to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, Treasury Board appropriations, and the government's response to parliamentary committee recommendations: (a) what is the current process by which Treasury Board approved appropriations for Canada's obligations to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission flow through Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and on what legal, policy, and administrative basis does this arrangement continue; (b) why has the government not corrected the conflict of interest noted in the 11th report of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, which was adopted during the 1st session of the 44th Parliament, that found that, Fisheries and Oceans Canada's dual role as both the funder and the delivery agent of the Sea Lamprey Control Program represents a conflict of interest; (c) what accountability mechanisms are currently in place to ensure that funds flowing through Fisheries and Oceans Canada are not influenced by the department's operational role in delivering the Sea Lamprey Control Program; (d) why has the government not yet implemented recommendation number eight of the standing committee's report, which calls for transferring responsibility for the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, including the flow of Treasury Board appropriations, from Fisheries and Oceans Canada to Global Affairs Canada; (e) what is the timeline for implementing the transfer in (d); and (f) what assessment has the government made of the risks posed by not yet implementing recommendation number eight, including risks to (i) Canada's compliance with its international treaty obligations, (ii) the credibility of Canada's governance of shared Great Lakes resources, (iii) the effective and timely delivery of sea lamprey control activities?

With regard to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans' enforcement of the Fisheries Act and associated regulations governing fisheries, for each year since January 1, 2015: (a) how many Conservation and Protection personnel have been deployed for enforcement activities in each of Department of Fisheries and Oceans' seven operating regions; (b) how many persons have been charged in each region with offences as a result of Conservation and Protection enforcement activities; (c) how many charges have been laid in each region as a result of Conservation and Protection enforcement activities; (d) how many charges in each region were related to illegal, unreported or unregulated fishing; and (e) how many persons charged with offences have been convicted of charges in each region?

With regard to Fisheries and Oceans Canada: (a) between March 15, 2026, and April 15, 2026, how many Fisheries and Oceans Canada mandated, authorized or chartered flights were flown over ice flows in Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization areas 2GHJ, 3K and 4RST; (b) what were the date and flight path of each such flight; (c) what observations of seals were made on each flight, including the species, numbers and locations; and (d) why is the data in (c) no longer being proactively provided to the sealing industry?