Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Thank you for inviting me to appear before the committee to discuss a number of important subjects.

Before I begin, I want to acknowledge that we are gathered here on the traditional territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people.

I'd like to start by presenting the Main Estimates 2024‑25 on behalf of Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard. For the 2024‑25 fiscal year, the department is seeking $4.7 billion in planned spending. Funding for key initiatives includes $506 million for projects related to the Canadian Coast Guard fleet, including the acquisition of new vessels, $127.7 million related to signing new collective agreements with employees, and $52.7 million to continue our work under the Fisheries Act. If you have any questions on the Main Estimates 2024‑25, officials in my department or I would be pleased to respond at the end of my remarks.

I'd like to touch on a few points, starting with the elver fishery. As you know, in March, I made the difficult decision not to reopen the elver fishery in 2024 in the Maritimes. I want to remind you that anyone caught elver fishing will be subject to enforcement action by fishery officers, who are working with other agencies to combat the unauthorized fishing, sale and possession of elvers for export. Since March 6, no fewer than 132 individuals have been arrested and 21 vehicles seized, along with 350 pounds of elver, 105 fyke nets and 249 dip nets. Whatever we say or do, the numbers speak for themselves: Fishery officers are out there, doing their job, patrolling rivers, facilities and export points as we speak.

The department is continuing its work to make the necessary regulatory and management changes to ensure a safe and sustainable elver fishery for all harvesters. The fishery won't reopen until these measures are fully implemented. That said, we're working hard to open the elver fishing season in 2025, because I don't want this fishery to be closed for another year.

In January, I also authorized the reopening of the commercial Unit 1 redfish fishery, following a nearly 30‑year moratorium. The first phase of the reopening of the commercial fishery will last two years. I'd like to take this opportunity to update you on the current status of this work. From March 4 to 7, DFO held a series of productive meetings with the redfish advisory committee in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Many important topics related to sustainable fisheries management were discussed during these meetings, in addition to key issues that will have an impact on the next steps related to redfish sub-allocations.

Feedback from advisory committee members is currently informing decisions on the Unit 1 redfish management plan for the 2024 season. DFO is currently sharing its recommendations with me, and a decision will be communicated in the coming weeks, prior to the opening of the redfish fishing season. At present, the earliest the fishery will be ready to open is June 15, after the annual redfish spawning season.

In the meantime, as an experimental fishery is already in place, I have some excellent news for members of this committee. Indeed, as of this week, redfish caught in the St. Lawrence and processed in the Gaspé region can be found on the shelves of some 200 Metro stores in Quebec, and that's only the beginning. It's time for us all to do our part, choose redfish, include it on our menus, give it added value and, by so doing, further develop the market. I've tried it, and it's excellent.

More recently, I was pleased to announce the opening of a 470‑tonne personal-use Atlantic mackerel bait fishery. This announcement strikes the right balance between protecting the resource and equipping our fishermen with the affordable bait they need, while at the same time providing recent field data that will further inform future decisions on these fisheries, so vital to our coastal communities. According to the president of the Maritime Fishermen's Union, we're even talking about savings of several thousand dollars on bait for our fishermen, who will no longer have to engage in the absurdity of buying high-priced mackerel from the United States every season. In the medium term, my department is firmly convinced that Atlantic mackerel stocks can recover, which is why I'm more determined than ever to support the eventual reopening of this fishery.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance tabled the 2024 budget on April 16, and I'm delighted to see some excellent measures that will support the fisheries sector, starting with a massive investment of nearly half a billion dollars over three years, starting this year, to upgrade and maintain small craft harbours. As the nation with the longest coastline in the world, Canada has a duty to invest in resilient port infrastructure capable of meeting the climate challenges of today and tomorrow. This is not just a question of economic development, but of food security as well.

Today, fish and seafood are among Canada's leading food exports. This means jobs for more than 45,000 Canadians, and landings estimated at nearly $4.2 billion in 2022 for the commercial fishing industry alone. That's why, once the 2024 budget is adopted, DFO will work to identify each region's priorities, before announcing in due course how this investment will be allocated.

Our government is also planning to inject an additional $263.5 million into the EI program, extending benefits for eligible seasonal workers in 13 economic regions of Atlantic Canada and Quebec by five weeks until October 2026. As a proud representative of one of those 13 regions, I can tell you that this measure is a game changer for many of our workers, who depend on those benefits to make ends meet before each tourist season.

Budget 2024 also contains a number of investments that will help support our blue economy. In addition to the financial support earmarked for small craft harbours, the federal budget provides funding that will be shared among key departments, including DFO and the CCG, including more than $1.6 billion to support Canada's national adaptation strategy, which will help protect people and communities from the effects of climate change. In addition, an investment of $25.1 million over two years in the Canadian shellfish safety program to help communities harvest shellfish safely for food, social and ceremonial purposes will contribute to food security. In addition, $44 million over three years will be earmarked for programs to enable indigenous communities to continue to identify common priorities. Finally, Budget 2024 contains a very interesting measure to ease the tax burden on fishermen.

In short, with Budget 2024, we are giving ourselves the means to achieve our ambitions by equipping our fishermen with the tools they need, as well as modern ports where their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren will continue our finest maritime traditions.

Thank you and I'm now prepared to answer questions from members of the committee.

Diane Lebouthillier

$429,336.00