Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on 
Fisheries and Oceans

Issue 2 - Evidence - January 28, 2014

OTTAWA, Tuesday, January 28, 2014

The Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans met this day at 5:08 p.m. for the consideration of a draft budget to study the regulation of aquaculture, current challenges and future prospects for the industry in Canada.

Senator Fabian Manning (Chair) in the chair.

[English]

The Chair: Honourable senators, we are here this evening to discuss the proposed trip by the committee to British Columbia, looking at the end of March of this year. The trip is to begin our fact-finding mission and public hearings in British Columbia in regard to our aquaculture study.

We have a proposed itinerary put in place, which looks at fact-finding visits to Tofino, Campbell River and Baynes Sound and the possible public hearings in Vancouver, British Columbia. We will work out the details as time goes forward, with availability of places and whether there are individuals or organizations that will want to appear before us. I trust everybody had an opportunity to look through the proposed itinerary for the travel.

With that, I will be asking the committee for a motion that the budget proposal, amounting to $161,195 for the special study on aquaculture for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2014, with adjustments resulting from this meeting and following a final review by the Senate administration to be overseen by the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure, be approved for submission to the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration.

Just to let you know, what I have worded here is the straightforward budget of approximately $161,195 for the end of this fiscal year and, as we put the final touches on that and we need to make some adjustments to the budget in relation to cost, the subcommittee would have the opportunity to do that instead of bringing the whole committee together when we get the final tally on cost.

I will look for a motion. Moved by Senator Wells and seconded by Senator Hubley.

All those in favour? Contra-minded?

Carried.

Also what has been put forward to committee members is a proposed work plan for our study. It's very detailed in relation to dealing with the federal government departments for the beginning of the plan and involving people in the industry, people who have questions about the industry, people who may not be necessarily in favour and people who are. We are hoping to have a broad range of panels and individuals come before us to learn as much as we can about aquaculture.

I ask that you take the opportunity over the next week or so to review the proposed work plan. Feel free to make suggestions to me or to the clerk or an analyst in relation to who you would like to give the opportunity to come before our committee in regard to the study, especially when it comes to the travel we are proposing to do across Canada. I would ask you to have a look at that and get back to us with any suggestions that you would like to put forward.

Are there any questions or comments about what I have proposed? No? Everybody's happy?

With that, I hope you enjoy the rest of 2014 and will be as happy as you are this evening.

(The committee adjourned.)