Public Accounts committee  It is so within DFO.

Public Accounts committee  Not at this point, no, it is not.

Public Accounts committee  That is the position, that the agency is within the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

Public Accounts committee  That's correct. As we mentioned, the mid-year review we tabled has been made available to this committee. It clearly sets out where we are making progress and—we're transparent about this—where we are falling behind, where we are going to have to put extra effort. We've reviewed this on a regular basis.

Public Accounts committee  Mr. Chairman, Mr. Da Pont explained that the coast guard and department undertook quite an in-depth review of budgets and expenditures in light of priorities. It was this business case that in fact convinced Treasury Board that the extra funds that we were allocated in 2006 did indeed compensate, for the shortfall, particularly as concerns the management of what I would call fixed assets, both for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans as well as for the Coast Guard.

Public Accounts committee  No, but I realized that there were significant challenges that needed to be faced. Having said that, the efforts that my predecessor and Mr. Da Pont have made to restructure the coast guard have been significant. We are carrying on with the work and will ensure there is extensive follow-up, given the specific objectives and deadlines.

Public Accounts committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair and members of the committee. I appreciate this opportunity to come before you today to answer questions and address the issues raised in the Auditor General's report of February 2007. You have introduced my colleagues, but with me are commissioner George Da Pont, and la sous-commissaire, Monsieur Charles Gadula.

Fisheries committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. With regard to the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation, a number of studies are under way since the appointment of the new president, who is very aware of the interest and opportunities that may be provided through dual marketing. He, with his board, is also considering opportunities for piloting some different approaches and partnerships.

Fisheries committee  You asked a question concerning submarines. I don't know whether Mr. Da Pont wants to venture out on those waters, if you'll pardon that pun.

Fisheries committee  We're going to toss the ball back and forth. So, Mr. Chairman, I would tell you that we don't plan to ask National Defence to be responsible for their submarines.

Fisheries committee  From year to year, we invest in the dredging of small craft harbours in certain sectors. As my colleague Mr. Hegge has told you on numerous occasions, it's always a gain for us to balance medium and longer-term expenditures to repair and do the necessary rebuilding in the harbours.

Fisheries committee  Sometimes we would pay them directly to do it, so it was in fact contracted services, and on occasion it involved services in kind on our behalf, i.e., we would provide the scientists on board or the equipment necessary. Those involving the use of fish—i.e., the critical component of the Larocque decision, which was that we could not use fish as a means of covering the expenses for the surveys—was what we provided you.

Fisheries committee  Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I should point out that no budget has been allocated to the department for dredging as such, except in very specific locations that are the subject of agreements with the United States, for example. In other cases, we're given directives by Cabinet based on previous decisions.

Fisheries committee  I'm going to ask Mr. Bevan to answer you on the current state of the discussions. The discussions are currently continuing and we haven't reached an agreement. The discussions on inventory are ongoing. We're also discussing overfishing and monitoring to ensure quota compliance.

Fisheries committee  Mr. Chair, I would like to offer to the member that we are not hiding any information. The interpretation of the question and the request for information was that it was about the number of organizations that had received fish for science activities. The remainder—I think we have about 170 agreements with organizations and/or enterprises—do not involve the use of fish, which is why we did not provide that information.