DRAFT SYNOPSIS
Public Consultation - Sept-Iles, March 22, 2001

Foreword

The Atlantic Fisheries Policy Review (AFPR) is being undertaken by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) to develop a consistent and cohesive policy framework for the management of Canada’s East Coast fish stocks. The process of the review includes consultations with provinces/territories, aboriginal interests, the fishing industry, and other interested parties.

The work of the AFPR is being done in two phases: Phase I will produce a policy framework, which will address the questions: What do we want to achieve in fisheries management over the long term? What are our objectives and principles? Phase II will establish priorities and begin to operationalize elements from the policy framework (developed in Phase I), and will answer the question: How do we get there?

The purpose of the public consultations held in March and April was to receive comments and feedback about Phase I of the policy review – the development of a policy framework. A discussion document "The Management of Fisheries on Canada’s Atlantic Coast – A Discussion Document on Policy Direction and Principles" was prepared by DFO. The document which sought to provide a focus for stakeholder input on policy directions and options, was used to guide the round of public consultations held across Atlantic Canada.

The discussion document outlines broad objectives and proposes several principles centred around four main policy themes: conservation, economic and social viability, access and allocations and governance. It also contains a section on roles and responsibilities, which clarifies DFO’s role with respect to other federal departments and agencies, other governments, the commercial industry, and other resource users.

The document was released on February 7, 2001, and distributed to stakeholder groups and others who had indicated an interest in the Review process. In addition, a brochure, which summarized the document, was mailed to every commercial fisheries licence holder in Newfoundland, the Maritimes, Quebec and Nunavut (65,000 copies).

The 19 public consultation sessions held throughout Atlantic Canada, Quebec and Nunavut in March and April, 2001, were open to all and a broad cross section of those with an interest in the Atlantic fisheries came to the sessions and expressed their views.

The same format was followed at each meeting. The meeting began with a brief discussion about the purpose of the meeting and the agenda for the consultation. This was followed by a short presentation which summarized the discussion document. Registered speakers who indicated they would like to make formal presentations were next to speak. Finally, a round table discussion on the four policy themes was held, followed by a brief discussion on next steps including options for additional input.

We indicated that written summaries of the 19 public consultation sessions would be provided to those who attended the meeting and who had signed our registration sheet. This report honours that commitment. The summaries are divided into three parts. First, re-occurring issues or themes from the public meeting which include comments from the formal presentations and round table discussions are provided. The themes are included for ease of reference and should not be interpreted as having more importance than individual comments. Second, a list of speakers who made formal presentations and the highlights of their presentations are noted. Third, a summary of the comments provided during the round table discussion organized by policy themes, is also provided.

In addition to holding public consultation sessions, we invited groups and individuals to submit written comments on the discussion document (with a deadline of May 31, 2001).

Fisheries and Oceans
August 2001

Themes arising from the Session
Sept-Iles, March 22, 2001

• In the past, DFO has prepared management plans, often without consultation or prior discussions with Innu; paternalism must now give way to dialogue, consultation and co-management.
• Aboriginal people have a right to share in the commercial fishery but will need continued training, financing of vessels and transfer of licences through buy-out programs.
• It is important that resource users agree on the objectives respecting conservation, bearing in mind that, once conservation is assured, the next priority is the Aboriginal right to fish for food, social and ceremonial purposes.
• A wish to avoid creation of two sub-groups of Aboriginal peoples in the Atlantic: one group that receives large sums to respect the application of the Marshall decision in relation to the commercial fishery and, another, such as the Innu, that can invoke only its protected ancestral rights to fish for food, social and ceremonial purposes.
• A well-managed, well-administered sport fishery with established quotas and limits on the type of gear used would not be detrimental to the commercial fishery and would give an important boost to the economies of the regions involved.
• The sport fishery is a legitimate partner in the fishery and is conservation-minded; DFO is urged to gradually implement a tidal water fishery in the Atlantic.
• Concern about gear technology and the growing sophistication of harvesting capability.

Registered Speakers

• Chef Jean-Charles Piétacho, Conseil des Innu de Ekuanitshit, Assemblée Mamu Pakatatau Mamit
• Bernard Poirier, Association pour les droits de pêches aux espèces marines Inc.
• Michel Dion, Association pour les droits de pêches aux espèces marines Inc.

What we heard in the Round Table Discussion:

Conservation

• While the good intentions of the department are not doubted, history speaks for itself; there is evidence that the problems that faced cod 20 years ago are reoccurring in the shrimp fishery today.
• Fishermen’s traditional knowledge is a valuable tool in planning and management and should be used by DFO.
• The scientific information available for the northern part of the Gulf of St. Lawrence is almost non-existent compared to the information on the southern part of the Gulf.
• The effects of global warming on the inshore fishery must be tracked and taken into consideration in fishery management.

Economic and Social Viability

• In order to attain economic viability, better incomes and less stress are needed; a lot of time is spent asking for better working conditions, fair working conditions, resolving disputes among fishermen, dealing with the high costs of licences, the debt load carried by all fishermen – at year end many fishermen are under the break-even point.
• In 1982 we went through a similar consultation process to develop fisheries management policies. At that time, economic viability was discussed and multi-licensing was advocated; this has not made much of a difference to most people.
• The sport fishery provides economic benefit to communities without adversely affecting the resource and could breathe new life into the economies of communities and regions that have tidal waters.

Access and Allocations

• Pleased to see recognition of the sport fishery as a legitimate user of the resource; the British Columbia sport fishery already has a place at the table; a similar process should exist on the Atlantic Coast and recreational interests should be consulted in the allocation decision-making process.
• Agreement that the access and allocation decision-making process should be transparent and consistently applied.
• The owner-operator and fleet separation policies must be retained to avoid corporate concentration of licences like on the West Coast.
• The inshore fleet must be maintained.
• Seals are too numerous; they will have to be managed to allow the cod stocks to re-build.
• Within the same area, there is a great disparity between fishermen at the lowest and highest income levels that will need to be addressed; different sharing arrangements should be considered.

Governance

• DFO has the time and the professional staff who can work with fishermen to help resolve disputes; its role as mediator and fisheries manager should not be abandoned.
• DFO should also continue it surveillance and enforcement role.
• While the concept of shared decision-making is attractive, there is concern that fishermen will not be able to work together because, as independent business people, they each have their own goals which might make consensus achieving difficult.
• Agreement that more openness is needed in all aspects of the fisheries management system.