On May 11, 2023, UFAWU-Unifor Vice-President Kyle Louis and Business Agent Emily Orr participated as witnesses in a session conducted by the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans (FOPO).
The objective of the session was to investigate the issue of foreign ownership and corporate concentration of fishing licenses and quota in Canada.
Kyle Louis and Emily Orr appeared alongside Tasha Sutcliffe, Senior Policy Advisor at Ecotrust Canada; Jennifer Silver, Associate Professor at the University of Guelph; Paul Lansbergen, President of the Fisheries Council of Canada; and Andrew Olson, Chief Executive Officer of Nuu-chah-nulth Seafood Limited Partnership.
During the session, Kyle Louis and Emily Orr delivered opening statements that addressed the critical concerns surrounding foreign ownership and corporate concentration.
They also fielded a wide range of questions related to the critical issue — covering areas such as license prices, the buyback program, domestic food security, and the owner-operator policy.
The UFAWU-Unifor-launched Foreign Ownership Parliamentary Petition was also highlighted during questioning.
Watch Kyle Louis and Emily Orr’s opening statements below and click here to watch the full session.