Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have to respect the work that the NWT fishers do and the product that they deliver to us. This is why we have contributions and grants to assist them with the associated high costs of doing business. Can the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment confirm the total grants and contribution and subsidies for the commercial fishing industry? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can confirm for the Member that, in 2018-2019, a little over $565,000 was provided to the Northwest Territories Fishermen's Federation in varying supports. The Northwest Territories commercial fishing industry is eligible to receive funding and support from ITI in two different areas: the Great Slave Lake fishery support program, which is specifically for commercial fishers on Great Slave Lake and primarily to offset freight costs from Hay River to the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation plant in Winnipeg, Manitoba; and the second one is the Northern Food Development Program. As entrepreneurs and small businesses, fishers are also eligible to apply for funding from the Support for Entrepreneurs and Economic Development Program, or the SEED Program, which many already do. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The NWT fishers depend on these grants and contributions to offset those high costs. Can the Minister of ITI confirm what percentage of these contributions go to the NWT fishers and, if any, to fishers outside the NWT who have not met the residency requirement?
I can tell you that all of the SEED and Northern Food Development Program funding went to resident and Northwest Territories fishers. For these two programs, you must be a resident of the Northwest Territories to be eligible for funding. Applicants are required to produce a valid driver's licence or healthcare card.
When it comes to the Great Slave Lake fishery support program, all fishers who hold a commercial fishing licence on Great Slave Lake, a current boat certificate, and sell fish to the Northwest Territories Fishermen's Federation fish plant are eligible to receive support under the freight support stream. This program pays out based on the poundage of fish delivered to the plant. Under this program, there was one non-resident fisher who received contributions last year, totalling about 2.5 percent of the total payout to fishers.
With respect to the residency requirement, there seems to be a difference between what is in the SEED Program and what is in the commercial renewable resource use policy. The SEED Program requires six months, and the other one is three years. I am just wondering if the Minister has looked at that and if the Minister is willing to reconcile that difference, because I would rather see the money stay in the North. I would rather see it be three years than the six-month requirement due to the fact that it is pretty easy to get a driver's licence here and it is pretty easy to get healthcare here. Anybody could do it and take our money and leave.
I appreciate the Member raising this concern to me. It is not an area that I would express to be very familiar with. When I did hear of the discrepancies in the residency requirements, it does make me ask the same question as the Member. I have not had a chance to follow up with ITI on the reasoning behind why a six-month residency versus three years for the fishers. I do commit to getting back to the Member with that answer, as well as committing to a general overall review of most of the programs or all the programs that I have in my departments, which I am getting started on.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Due to the high costs associated with the fishing industry, can the Minister of ITI confirm that these grants, contributions, and subsidies will be revisited at some point to determine if they accurately reflect the high cost associated with that industry? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yes to the Member's question. The department has and will continue to review all of its funding programs to determine if they are meeting their objectives. Members may or may not be aware that, during the 18th Assembly, the support for NWT fishers under the Great Slave Lake Fishery Program was revisited and, in fact, it doubled from $225,000 to $450,000. Right now, we are of the opinion that the programs and services offered to Northwest Territories fishers are adequate. In fact, our jurisdiction is among the best in Canada when it comes to supporting individual fishers.
More importantly, though, Mr. Speaker, we are working with the Tu Cho Cooperative to realize a vision that we share for the revitalization of the Great Slave Lake fishing industry. It will position the Tu Cho Cooperative to ensure that the Northwest Territories' producers see the benefit of having a direct say and even ownership in their industry. With increased demand, access to higher markets and pricing, and new products, we want to realize greater returns for new and lifelong fishers working on the lake. Rather than subsidies and grants, we see this as a way to increase opportunities and returns in the fishing sector.
I would also like to acknowledge that I understand there are concerns within the fishing industry in Hay River, and I do commit to the Member to further discussions with him going forward to ensure we work on those together. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Thebacha.
