Fisheries committee  Thank you for the opportunity.

Fisheries committee  I can comment on the first one. I think in terms of the environmental assessment, you'll probably have to look at a joint panel review. That's one way of doing it, because in that particular case communities are provided with resources. I think another situation, in fact, is there could be some basic steps that need to be taken by the federal and provincial governments, depending on jurisdiction, before a decision is made to actually put an aquaculture site in a particular location.

Fisheries committee  I would suggest that's not the case in New Brunswick. Think of the size of what's going on in St. Mary's Bay—there is nothing like that anywhere in New Brunswick. There are no aquaculture leases in New Brunswick anywhere near the size of the one in St. Mary's Bay.

Fisheries committee  The jobs are a bit of a mugs game. Our community is employed by the lobster fishery. That is what drives our community. By taking away some of the most lucrative lobster fishing available, you're putting this community's jobs and their families at risk. It's almost like you're making a decision that we're going to choose open fin fish aquaculture in salmon over lobster.

Fisheries committee  I'm not sure this is really within our purview or ability to answer, Mr. Allen.

Fisheries committee  I think one of the other concerns is that the changes to the regulations seem to in fact be a response to the desire on behalf of the aquaculture companies to have both easier and greater access to a plethora.... I forget what they actually call it—not more tools in the toolbox, or arsenal...I forget what it is.

Fisheries committee  It's difficult to sit in a room with someone who's been fishing for 50 years and have them say, “How can someone do this?” They don't understand. They say, “How could this be done to us? They're destroying the last fishery we have. We have a healthy, natural, lobster fishery. They're putting that industry and they're putting us and our communities at risk.

Fisheries committee  I'm not sure about your question. Maybe you could phrase it differently.

Fisheries committee  I think both are probably correct. I think there are real problems with open fin fish aquaculture for salmon, in terms of its implications, as Karen has pointed out: the food, the antibiotics, the pesticides, the taking up of the area coastal property, and degradation that goes on around it.

Fisheries committee  We asked that very question and the answer back to us was that no one is responsible at all.

Fisheries committee  I'm not aware of any, no.

Fisheries committee  I think the issue of costs is quite interesting. As was mentioned by the previous member of Parliament, there are a number of very successful land-based closed containment fish farms. In fact, right now, one in Nova Scotia is selling its fish around the world. It's another halibut operation.

Fisheries committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Easter. No, we don't think it was balanced. So often we use the term David and Goliath, because that's what it felt like. I'm repeating myself here, but they come from a community of 700 people, they come from a community of fishermen. Not to put down fishermen whatsoever, but it's not a world that fishermen are comfortable or familiar with, in terms of dealing with the federal government, environmental screening processes, and so on.

Fisheries committee  No, they did not. In fact, the scientific information that was looked at by DFO was scientific information that was provided by the proponent. The assessment undertaken by the proponent looked at the impact that the environment would have on their proposal, not the impact that their proposal would have on the environment.

Fisheries committee  I think that would be a question you should pose to the Atlantic Salmon Federation. I think they'd be able to speak to that quite well.