Fisheries and Oceans

The committee considered a motion by Bloc Québécois member Alexis Deschênes to study the development of the seal industry in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Maritimes. Conservative member Clifford Small proposed an amendment to broaden the study to cover all pinniped industries—including sea lions and walruses—in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Northern regions, to increase the minimum number of meetings from three to five, and to add an hour dedicated to reviewing progress on the committee’s December 2023 report on pinniped populations.

Liberal members opposed the amendment, particularly the additional hour to review the previous report, arguing that officials from Fisheries and Oceans Canada would already be present and could be questioned about that report during the study. Deschênes expressed openness to expanding the geographic scope and including species like Steller’s sea lions and sea otters, but wanted the motion to retain a specific reference to seals in the Gulf and Maritimes. The committee did not reach a final decision on the motion or the amendment during the meeting.