The House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans met to study recreational and traditional fishing for softshell clam, hearing from fisherpeople, researchers, and Indigenous fisheries managers about the closure of harvesting areas in Quebec’s Chaleur Bay.
Dorina Allard, a fisherwoman, described clam harvesting as a family ritual and a lesson in patience and respect for the sea, noting that the authorized Miguasha site is overcrowded and requires a long, potentially dangerous walk. She asked the committee to support opening new areas in Chaleur Bay to alleviate pressure on the Miguasha shoal, preserve the ecological balance, and ensure the tradition survives for future generations.
Gaston Bourdages, a fisherman and former engineer, stated that 41 of 48 potential harvesting areas in Chaleur Bay are closed despite all but one municipality now having wastewater treatment, a paradox given that all areas were open 35 years ago without such treatment. He cited a 2009 Comité ZIP study that recommended opening the Bonaventure area, a recommendation never acted upon by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and argued that the department prioritizes enforcement over conducting the water-quality analyses needed to reopen sites.
Ghislain Roberge, a fisherman, testified that he has harvested clams for 50 years without ever falling ill and that the biomass is healthy and abundant. He described being fined heavily and chased by helicopter for harvesting in closed areas, and he questioned why oyster farming is permitted in Bonaventure while clam harvesting is banned in the same water, asking for new zones to be opened to spread out fishing pressure.
Esteban Figueroa, a researcher, presented ethnographic findings showing that clam fishing is a vibrant, socially regulated activity that meets criteria for intangible cultural heritage, with knowledge passed orally across generations. He argued that the culture of moderation among fishers provides a foundation for controlled openings of new areas, which would also support local food self-sufficiency and sustainable development.
David Courtemanche, general manager of Merinov, explained that his organization conducts water sampling for Environment Canada under the Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program and that many sites were closed by default when sampling was reduced, not because of confirmed contamination. He noted that opening a new site requires 15 sampling rounds over 18 months and that Merinov could assist with biomass characterization and water monitoring, but that the process is constrained by federal resources.
Marie-Gil Fortin, an industrial researcher at Merinov, detailed the four-step process for opening a site: biomass assessment by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, pollution source evaluation by Environment Canada, water quality monitoring with 15 samples over 18 months, and biotoxin testing by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. She confirmed that the 18-month timeline cannot be shortened because seasonal data is required, and that sampling costs roughly $5,000 per trip, though costs drop if multiple sites are sampled together.
Catherine Lambert Koizumi, executive director of the Mi'gmaq Wolastoqey Indigenous Fisheries Management Association, stated that clam harvesting is an essential traditional activity for food and culture, and that closures often reflect a lack of recent data rather than actual risk. She proposed investing in testing programs, including First Nations in data collection, and establishing co-management pilot projects, noting that her association has wardens who could conduct sampling but that funding would be needed to pay them.
Jeremy Jerome, a commercial fisher, spoke in Mi'kmaq and English about the cultural importance of clams as a food source marking the new season, and described the heartbreak of driving past closed sites. He recounted being caught by fishery officers who could not say when the last water test was done, and he called for banding together with all coastal communities to regain access.
During questioning, witnesses disagreed with the premise that closures are based on contamination, with Bourdages and Roberge noting that New Brunswick allows harvesting in the same water and that oyster farming is permitted in closed clam areas. Several witnesses, including Lambert Koizumi and Courtemanche, confirmed that the federal government has declined to process requests to open or expand sites even when communities offered to pay for testing, citing a lack of departmental capacity. The committee heard no procedural debate, motions, or votes during this meeting.
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