Fisheries committee  I think one other point to make—and maybe Tim can speak to this—is that we work closely with the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, and our scientists are very closely linked to both the federal scientists and the American scientists and the work they're doing. So from a scientific perspective, I think we're probably well coordinated.

Fisheries committee  That's right. We've actually toured through the infrastructure and their upgraded quarantine lab for invasive pests, and it's a lovely centre. I think we're going to make good use of it. Certainly, when we began, we talked a lot with the Canadian Forest Service about forest pests but also about invasive terrestrial plants in forests and the work we could do up there.

Fisheries committee  It depends on what impact that species might have on our environment and our economy and on society. For hundreds of years there have been invasive species and things that have come into Canada and that haven't caused a problem, that haven't taken over ecosystems, that haven't disrupted the balance.

Fisheries committee  The fisheries enforcement and management in Canada, and certainly in Ontario, has always been a combined effort. We've always worked closely with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. With our delegated authority, we're in constant contact on our invasive species strategic plan.

Fisheries committee  There are many players, just as there are for any fisheries issues in the Great Lakes. We work closely with our American colleagues. We hope the tools they bring align with ours, and we're hoping that our provincial strategy will put arms around all of the different groups and involve everyone, so that we're moving forward together.

Fisheries committee  I think it's both. I will maybe turn to Tim who can probably provide a nice scientific answer to that question.

Fisheries committee  I wanted to thank you very much for your comments about consultation and dialogue. We do appreciate that, and we look forward to commenting on the legislation.

Fisheries committee  As I say, I'm not the right person to answer that, simply because I'm involved on the science side of things, so I'm going to see.... Francine, I know you've been working with our folks to provide comments to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Can you talk a little bit more about that?

Fisheries committee  I don't know when we started to provide comments back. Was it in the last month?

Fisheries committee  It's inconsistent, but I will say that certainly, there were rumours. I think everybody knows that, and the province didn't want to react in the absence of actually seeing the actual wording. It's easy to jump to conclusions before you really understand what's being proposed. We were waiting until the federal government had actually got the draft document ready to be looked at.

Fisheries committee  I haven't personally, no, but I haven't been involved in that side of it. I'm not sure whether our policy director has seen a copy of the draft or been consulted.

Fisheries committee  No, I'm not aware that we have. I don't think so.

Fisheries committee  Certainly we would welcome the opportunity to provide comment on what the changes mean. When you have something before you to provide comment on, it's often difficult without having the dialogue as well. The dialogue always helps to meld, I guess, what the words mean. As anybody knows who deals with enforcement of legislation, it gets down to what those words mean and what we can do.

Fisheries committee  To start with, I think we're certainly very supportive of enabling tools and trying to streamline our policies and regulations, and the provincial government is going through a similar exercise. I think it's necessary. The challenge with the changed wording of the Fisheries Act is that I think we aren't fully aware yet of what it will mean for us.

Fisheries committee  Yes, we were just talking of Ontario. It is in the billions if you look at the U.S. economy and other....