Fisheries and Oceans

The House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans met to continue its study of recreational and traditional fishing for softshell clams. Appearing were Evelyn Soo from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), Alistair Struthers from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), Joanne Volk and Arash Shahsavarani from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), and Céline Gaudet and Sylvain Vézina from DFO’s regional offices.

Evelyn Soo explained that the CFIA monitors marine biotoxins in classified harvest areas and licenses processors, noting that budget 2024 funded 23 memoranda of understanding with first nations communities for food, social and ceremonial harvesting. She reported that over 9,000 samples were tested in 2025-26, with no biotoxin closures in Baie des Chaleurs in the last five years and only one recall nationally.

Alistair Struthers described DFO’s role in opening and closing harvest areas based on partner recommendations, managing fisheries through seasons and limits, and enforcing regulations. He stated that expanding harvesting opportunities depends on scientific testing and sustained monitoring, and that the Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program (CSSP) has seen increased demand with stable core funding.

Joanne Volk outlined ECCC’s responsibility for assessing sanitary water quality through coastal surveys and fecal coliform monitoring, noting that the CSSP was originally designed for commercial harvesting. She said that budget 2024 funding expanded indigenous engagement, and that improved delivery requires continued collaboration with partners and harvesters.

Arash Shahsavarani clarified that emergency closures can occur within hours of identifying a pollution source, but reopening a long-closed area may require up to two years of sampling to ensure safety. He noted an increase in emergency closures due to rainfall and aging septic systems, and that ECCC spends about $1.6 million annually on surveillance sampling in the region.

Céline Gaudet stated that in the Gulf region, there are about 27 classified harvest areas, with unclassified areas remaining open but with public health advisories. She confirmed that only ECCC conducts water testing, not third parties or provinces.

Sylvain Vézina said that in Baie des Chaleurs, only four of about 65 softshell clam areas remain open, with others closed due to pollution and testing halted in closed sectors. He indicated that opening new areas requires additional testing by ECCC and CFIA, and that DFO has not received recommendations for new openings recently.

The committee then debated and adopted a motion by Serge Cormier to study the decline of Atlantic salmon, with amendments from Alexis Deschênes to broaden the scope to include the Strait of Belle Isle and general mortality factors, and from Mel Arnold to require DFO to report on actions taken in response to previous committee reports on Atlantic salmon and striped bass. The motion was carried.