Fisheries committee  When we talk about building bigger and better, and what we need to do.... In certain instances, some harbours have been years without dredging. As long as these storms keep coming, those harbours are going to keep filling in. Those entrances are going to fill in. Passage in and out of the harbours, which are safe refuges, will be deemed impossible.

Fisheries committee  I can give you one example. In one small harbour, there were five wharves that were all lost to Fiona and had traps stored on them. It's a unique situation, because it is divested and doesn't fall under the federal small craft harbours program. It's on private property. Some of these people did not own the property, so it's not deeded or insured.

Fisheries committee  As I mentioned, it's a small harbour, for only five, so there are 15 people. Probably only approximately 45 people reside in that town. Fishing is the only thing in that little community.

Fisheries committee  It's very widespread. I know that in Newfoundland you have the same issue with some divested harbours and stuff. You'll be facing the same thing. I believe that both the provincial and the federal governments are working very closely to make sure they get the funding allocated that's necessary to get these repairs done.

Fisheries committee  I can't answer that. I haven't had the direct contact with them that my staff has had. I will get you that answer in writing.

Fisheries committee  Good afternoon, honourable members of Parliament. It is an honour to be here today to present the impacts of climate change and to discuss the effects Fiona had on some areas where my membership reside. My name is Michael Barron. I'm the president of the Cape Breton Fish Harvesters Association and a board member of the Canadian Independent Fish Harvesters Federation and the United Fisheries Conservation Alliance, the UFCA.

Fisheries committee  Okay. I'll go next. I definitely agree that we need more time to see what will and won't work. We need more time to provide consistent, reliable input. We just can't be thrown into these measures to satisfy our counterparts across the border. Again, it's not that as an industry we don't want to protect the right whales.

Fisheries committee  Yes. As an association, we were able to get most of the weak gear out to our members this year, minus the breakaway links. We had sleeves, weak rope and a different type of sleeve. With the unique way that our single trap fishery.... It's the same as the PEIFA and other areas in the gulf.

Fisheries committee  Excuse me.

Fisheries committee  I'm sorry about that, Mr. Chair. I just wanted to add something to—

Fisheries committee  Actually, we haven't had a closure here within our LFA 27. They've happened only on the other side of our LFA 27 line, which runs out of Bay St. Lawrence and borders the gulf. We're actually in a unique position because our lobster harvesters are with LFA 27, but their snow crab licences are in area 19 in the gulf, so we have not experienced the closure here on our side of Cape Breton.

Fisheries committee  Thank you very much. Good afternoon, honourable members of Parliament. It is an honour to be here today to present to you on the North Atlantic right whale. My name is Michael Barron. I'm the president of the Cape Breton Fish Harvesters Association and also an independent owner-operator of a fishing, lobster and snow crab enterprise in a small coastal community in northern Cape Breton.

Fisheries committee  As I mentioned a few moments ago, we're looking to have the discussions with Chief Terry and are looking forward to hearing his views. Once we understand the views that they have, then we can address the situation and address that to our membership.

Fisheries committee  To speak to the slow response from the RCMP, the slow response was due to the fact that DFO wouldn't go to the so-called plants that were involved in buying some of these moderate livelihood lobsters. That led to the slow response from the RCMP. The delayed response from DFO over time led to the frustration.

Fisheries committee  Again, it would be hard to say that you could render that support without actually seeing the document. It would have to be put in front of all the associations for the associations to see.