Thank you very much, Mr. Kerr.
Thank you for travelling to appear before the committee. I appreciate your taking the time. I know that you have a lot of items on your agenda as it stands, but you've decided to avail us of your experience and knowledge in this area, and we appreciate it.
We supported the bill at second reading. We understand, from a health and safety perspective, that if the people fishing are in danger as a result of the distance, then that itself is enough reason, but I haven't actually heard anybody say that on such-and-such a day, other than in April of 2008 with the Farley Mowat.... I haven't heard anybody say, number one, that “on such-and-such a date this happened”, with actual specific examples of where the half nautical mile has been compromised. That's the first one.
Second is the question of enforcement. We'll get an opportunity to speak to other witnesses to get some support for this, but there's been some suggestion that it's been difficult to get enforcement of the half nautical mile. Will the enforcement be any different? Will it be expanded? Is there an anticipation or has DFO said, in understanding that we're increasing the difference, that will mean we're going to need more people, less people, more boats, or less boats? Could you share with us a bit of that detail?
The first one is on examples of specific cases. The second is a question on some of the justification.
Thank you.