Mr. Fin Donnelly (New Westminster—Coquitlam, NDP):

Mr. Speaker, the fisheries minister is lost at sea. He has yet to say where the $57 million in cuts will come from. Now we learn that the government is cutting the Fisheries Resource Conservation Council on both coasts. These groups work closely with fishing communities providing much needed advice to the minister.

Why is the government gutting this department? Why is it turning its back on Canadian fishing families and our coastal communities?

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Hon. Keith Ashfield (Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway, CPC):

Mr. Speaker, we must ensure that the government spends money efficiently, effectively and in achieving the expected results for all Canadians.

While the FRCC has historically served an important role, activities have been replaced by other approaches, such as the industry is participating in stock assessments and the development of integrated fisheries management plans, and through various advisory committees.

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Mr. Ryan Cleary (St. John’s South—Mount Pearl, NDP):

Mr. Speaker, the resource conservation councils are not the only things being cut by DFO. News has broken in recent days that further cuts to the science branch of Fisheries and Oceans are coming. The branch has already been gutted.

Do the Conservatives really expect to manage our future fishery without any science based planning and with no input from the fishermen who work our seas?

John Crosbie once asked, “Who hears the fishes when they cry?”. Well, who hears our fishermen when they speak?

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Hon. Keith Ashfield (Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway, CPC):

Mr. Speaker, our government has made tremendous investments in science since 2006, including $30 million to upgrade 16 laboratories and sites across the country, and $36 million to construct 3 new science vessels.

The government has focused on marine science. We have invested $14 million to complete mapping and data collecting in the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans for Canada’s submission to the United Nations convention.

We have done a lot for science—

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The Speaker:

The hon. member for Brant.

–SNIP–

Ms. Judy Foote (Random—Burin—St. George’s, Lib.):
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans cannot continue to speak out of both sides of his mouth and expect to retain his credibility. The government cannot on one hand shut down the Fisheries Resource Conservation Council and at the same time say it supports science.
First it puts the lives of fishers at risk by recklessly closing the Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre in St. John’s and now it wants to take the fishers out of the industry altogether by cutting the guts out of the department.
When will the government live up to its responsibility and support the fishing industry instead of trying to destroy it?
(1500)

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Hon. Keith Ashfield (Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway, CPC):
Mr. Speaker, as I said previously, the FRCC has historically served an important role, but activities have been replaced by other approaches. Fisheries and Oceans Canada has built into its operations other ways to gather input from fish harvesters, including industry participation, stock assessments and development of integrated fisheries management plan and through advisory committees.

via Official Report * Table of Contents * Number 030 (Official Version).