As a result of their deliberations, committees may make recommendations which they include in their reports for the consideration of the House of Commons or the Government. Recommendations related to this study are listed below.

Recommendation 1

That Fisheries and Oceans Canada consider streamlining and standardizing commercial vessel policies across the Maritimes and Newfoundland and Labrador Regions (i.e., vessel leasing and vessel licence transfer policies).

Recommendation 2

That Fisheries and Oceans Canada undertake a full and comprehensive review of the vessel length policy in Newfoundland and Labrador including licence holdings, equipment maximums, and vessel extensions.

Recommendation 3

That by the end of the 2018 calendar year or as soon as possible thereafter, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and the Minister of Transport provide the Committee a written summary of input received and steps identified by the Ministers and their departmental representatives to harmonize and rationalize the process used by federal entities to license commercial vessels and increase the safety of those operating and working on those vessels.

Recommendation 4

That the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans or the Minister of Transport, or both Ministers, initiate the regulatory or legislative changes required to implement the steps identified to harmonize and rationalize the process used by federal entities to license commercial vessels and increase the safety of those operating and working on those vessels.

Recommendation 5

That any review or change of the policy be subject to full consultation with licence holders and commercial fishing enterprises in Atlantic Canada.

Recommendation 6

That Fisheries and Oceans Canada conduct continuous/ongoing broad based consultations and enter into dialogue with licence holders/enterprises, particularly as it relates to policy changes that would affect them, whether in-person consultations, mailed ballots/surveys or the use of online resources.

Recommendation 7

That Fisheries and Oceans Canada commit to more direct consultations, in relation to the vessel length policy and the licensing process. These consultations should be as inclusive as possible and include inshore fishers, groups of fishers and their bargaining agents. Efforts should be made to schedule the consultations during times when the maximum number of stakeholders can participate, backstopped by an initiative to proactively reach out to those who haven’t participated in scheduled consultation events.

Recommendation 8

That Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Transport Canada, where appropriate, immediately move to implement a process to engage and consult with inshore fishers, groups of fishers, and their bargaining agents on identifying all the federal policies that regulate and control them, but serve no fishery management purposes beyond frustrating and damaging the relationship between fishers and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Within this process:

1. There should be a standard set on the minimum amount of time between notice being given to fishers, and the date of the consultations to ensure that the relevant stakeholders have time to make arrangements to attend consultations on issues which directly affect them and to begin to rebuild relationships between Fisheries and Oceans Canada and fishers through good faith consultation.
2. This notice should be given in writing, either electronically or through physical mail, for the purpose of accountability, as well as advertised in a local free, and widely circulated publication.