Question Period Note: 2020-21 Supplementary Estimates ©

• The decrease of $183.1 million presented as part of these Supplementary Estimates consists of $156.1 million in voted appropriations, offset by a statutory forecast decrease of $339.2 million.
• The $156.1 million that the Department is seeking through voted appropriations is primarily for the ongoing response to the Big Bar landslide and the Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel project.
• The $339.2 million statutory forecast decrease is primarily related to payments to support Canada’s fish harvesters pursuant to the Public Health Events of National Concern Payments Act.

Funding for the ongoing response to the Big Bar landslide ($118.5 million).
• In June 2019, a significant landslide was reported in a remote stretch of the Fraser River near Big Bar. The obstruction is affecting the ability of returning salmon to reach their spawning ground.
• The initial response included rock remediation, hydrological and fisheries monitoring, fish passage, and fish conservation.
• This funding will be used to construct and implement a permanent fishway in a remote area of the Fraser River to enable Pacific salmon to reach their spawning grounds upstream of the site.

Funding for the Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel Project ($36.3 million).
• The Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel (OOSV) will replace the CCGS Hudson, the oldest ship in the Coast Guard fleet, and will allow DFO to conduct and support on-water ocean science research in the Atlantic and Arctic, the latter area being a place where CCGS Hudson cannot safely operate because of its age.
• In February 2020, Treasury Board approved additional funding for the OOSV project to continue advancing definition phase work with the aim of being ready to begin construction in December 2020.
• This funding will allow the project to transition to the implementation phase which includes the construction and entry into service of the vessel within the Coast Guard fleet.

Payments to support Canada’s fish harvesters pursuant to the Public Health Events of National Concern Payments Act (decrease of $-334.0 million).
• On May 14, 2020 the Prime Minister announced up to $469.4 million in new measures to support Canada’s fish harvesters, who are economically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic but cannot access existing federal measures.
• The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in reduced demand and declining prices for Canadian fish and seafood products, and has had significant impacts on the livelihoods of Canadian fishers.
• The statutory forecast is being reduced by $334.0 million in this exercise to align with planned expenditures of $135.4 million for 2020-21.

• Through these Supplementary Estimates, we are completing the transition to a traditional three Supplementary exercises (A, B and C), after the end of the two year Estimates Reform pilot project. As part of that reform, only two Supplementary Estimates exercises were presented.
• These Supplementary Estimates (C) are presenting a total decrease of ($183.1 million), which is comprised of $156.1 million in voted appropriations and a decrease of $339.2 million in statutory forecasts.
• The $156.1 million in voted authorities includes eighteen (18) items and represents an increase to our spending levels, over and above what was approved in the Main Estimates.
• The decrease of $339.2 million in statutory authorities includes two distinct decreases related to the COVID-19 pandemic, offset by a forecast increase related to the Department’s employee benefit plans. These amounts are presented for information purposes only as they have their own separate enabling legislation.
• The COVID-19 related items are
• Payments to support Canada’s fish harvesters and
• The Canadian Seafood Stabilization Fund which, at the time of these Supplementary Estimates, has transferred the entire $62.5 million envelope to Regional Development Agencies to help deliver the program.

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