The Honourable Gerry Byrne, Minister of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture, issued the following statement regarding the Canadian Council of Fisheries and Aquaculture Ministers Meeting.

“As a staunch federalist and a lifelong advocate and promoter of the power and potential of our province’s fisheries and of our fish harvesters, both the conduct and the outcome of the 2024 meetings of the Canadian Council of Fisheries and Aquaculture Ministers (CCFAM) have left me worried for the future of our resources and for the health of our Canadian federation.

The federal minister pronounced out loud that any position taken on fisheries matters of national importance with unanimous agreement of all 13 provincial and territorial premiers of Canada is irrelevant to her department and will not be allowed to be discussed in her presence. The council is our opportunity as ministers to raise concerns and solutions to issues that impact our fisheries and our fish harvesters.

The disrespect shown to provincial and territorial ministers by the federal minister during this year’s annual CCFAM conference was like nothing I have ever witnessed in my 28 years of public life.

The Government of Canada took the position that CCFAM will not be a forum for national communication or collaboration. Instead, Canada has hijacked this table of supposed equals to advance federal expectations and ambitions only. From the unilateral setting of agendas, to the presidential-like veto Canada exercised on the inclusion of several provincial or territorial positions that were troublesome to it, Canada has erased the value of this important forum.

The Canadian federation was damaged today by Canada.

During this year’s CCFAM conference, Newfoundland and Labrador reasonably and respectfully raised the recent unanimous position of all 13 First Ministers of the Council of the Federation to advance joint management of fisheries resources overseen by the federal government. Newfoundland and Labrador subsequently asked for and received the support of all 13 provincial and territorial fisheries ministers to discuss joint management as part of our fisheries agenda at the CCFAM table.

Newfoundland and Labrador then proposed language that captured this discussion for inclusion in the CCFAM conference’s concluding communique. The statement would have affirmed the position of CCFAM as follows:

‘Ministers brought forward the statement by Canada’s Premiers at the recent Council of the Federation meeting which “expressed significant concerns with some of the current management practices of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Greater engagement and collaboration are needed on the management of fisheries resources overseen by the federal government. Premiers support the position of Newfoundland and Labrador that these fisheries be jointly managed and call on the federal government to develop such an approach.” Ministers requested that discussions be initiated on this statement.’

In the opening minute of the discussion, the federal minister announced that no such language would be allowed by her in the CCFAM communique.

The Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard was clear: the deliberations of Canada’s 13 First Ministers were of no concern or relevance to her and would not be allowed at the CCFAM table.

This is the first time to my knowledge that Ottawa affected a veto not only on CCFAM ministers, but on matters coming from the highest level of provincial and territorial engagement within our federation. The federal minister was quite clear; the views of Canada’s provincial and territorial premiers are not her concern.

Today was a day the health of the Canadian federation was weakened.”

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Déclaration du ministre Byrne sur l’échec des discussions sur les priorités des provinces à la réunion du Conseil canadien des ministres des Pêches et de l’Aquaculture