2010/03/12

40th PARLIAMENT, 3rd SESSION

Oral Question to the Honourable Gail Shea (Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, CPC),

 Fisheries and Oceans 

 Mr. James Lunney MP (Nanaimo—Alberni, CPC):
 
     Mr. Speaker, maintaining market access is essential for Canada's hard-working fishermen. Eighty-five per cent of our seafood products are exported abroad.
   
With these markets increasingly demanding certification that fish are caught from a sustainably managed fishery, could the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans inform the House as to what the government is doing to ensure that our fishing industry maintains access to these essential foreign markets?
 

Hon. Gail Shea (Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, CPC):
 
    Mr. Speaker, our government recognizes the need to protect the livelihood of our fishing communities. Budget 2010 provided $7.2 million over two years to support a new catch certification program. Through this program, Fisheries and Oceans will issue certificates to exporters, ensuring that Canadian fish products can be traced back to their origin and back to sustainable fisheries.
   
The European market alone is worth approximately $500 million annually to the Canadian fish and seafood industry, so this is a very sound investment. Our Conservative government proudly supports the fishing industry—
 

The Speaker: 

    I am afraid the time allotted for question period has now expired.