Question Period Note: Great Lakes Fishery Commission

• The Great Lakes are an important resource shared by Canada and the United States. The Government of Canada is committed to preserving our freshwater resources and protecting the Great Lakes from invasive species.
• Our government recognizes that the efforts of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission are vital to controlling sea lampreys, conducting scientific research, and maintaining cooperation among Canadian and American agencies to manage the health of the Great Lakes transboundary fisheries.
• Budget 2021 highlighted our Government’s efforts to finish the fight against COVID-19, and to lay the foundation for a resilient and inclusive economic recovery, focused on creating jobs and promoting growth.
• While the Budget did not include new direct funding for the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, this in no way diminishes the importance we place on our partnership with the United States and the value of the Great Lakes and the fisheries it supports.
• We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the Great Lakes Fishery Commission in order to address high priority invasive species, like the sea lamprey, that threaten native ecosystems and habitat.

• The Great Lakes Fishery Commission (GLFC) was established by the 1954 Convention on Great Lakes Fisheries between Canada and the United States of America, with the objective of protecting and sustaining the Great Lakes fishery.
• Along with scientific research and managing the fisheries, the GLFC carries out sea lamprey control activities in cooperation with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and the United States (US) Fish and Wildlife Service.
• The Canada-United States (US) funding breakdown for GLFC activities reflects the distribution of territorial waters and the value of each nation’s fishery. Canada agreed at the inaugural meeting under the 1954 Convention to contribute 31 per cent of funding for the transboundary sea lamprey control work, and 50 per cent of other research and administrative costs (e.g. secretariat/salaries). The US provides the remaining funding.
• The 1954 Convention charges the commission with five major duties:
1. develop a binational research program aimed at sustaining Great Lakes fish stocks;
2. coordinate or conduct research consistent with that program;
3. recommend measures to governments that protect and improve the fishery;
4. formulate and implement a comprehensive sea lamprey control program; and
5. publish or authorize publication of scientific and other information critical to sustaining the fishery.
• The GLFC is made up of eight Commissioners (four each from Canada and the US) and one US Alternate Commissioner. The GLFC operates under the direction of the Commissioners, and functionally operates independently from government.
• Canada and the US government support the Commission through a cost-sharing arrangement. In recent years the US government has decided to increase its contributions to the Commission; however, Canadian contributions have remained static.
• As part of the Budget 2021 process, the Department put forward a proposal seeking incremental funding of $44.2M over five years and $8.84M ongoing, for the GLFC, to ensure that Canada meets its bilateral treaty requirement with the US. The proposal was not funded.

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