Neighbours, friends and fellow Surreyites;
Today I rose in the House to vote in favour of Bill C-228 – An Act to amend the Fisheries Act. Over the past weeks and months, I have heard from a number of you who have voiced your support for this Private Members Bill. As your Member of Parliament and as a fellow British Columbian, I felt that it was necessary to demonstrate my support for our coast, which includes our coastal communities and Indigenous communities that rely on wild salmon and the future of wild salmon species in British Columbia.
The Federal Government is committed to ensuring that $2 billion of economic activity is provided to the Canadian aquaculture industry. Over five years, we will invest almost $200 million towards the enhancement of fisheries and aquaculture science, which will be utilized to improve the development of regulations for environmental performance in this important industry within British Columbia and across Canada. After meeting with the Minister of Oceans, Fisheries, and the Canadian Coast Guard on multiple occasions, I am confident that the Minister is committed to acting on the recommendations of the Cohen Commission, as well as, beginning consultations on the Wild Salmon Policy – both of which will help aim to restore and protect wild salmon in the BC Watershed.
While the bill itself did not pass, I am committed to ensuring that the Federal Government acts on the recommendations found in the Cohen Commission and that we work together to recognize the importance of fisheries and the aquaculture industries in British Columbia.
Randeep S. Sarai
Member of Parliament for Surrey-Centre