Fisheries committee  In fact, I've already sent a copy of that letter to Ms. Landry, representative of the Fédération des pêcheurs semi-hauturiers du Québec, so they, as well as people from Transport Canada, are aware of the situation once they begin the tour. I am not the only one who received that letter; several harvesters received the same letter.

Fisheries committee  I will have to go to the federation and ask if they can make a copy. I will do what has to be done.

Fisheries committee  I have a question for the member. I told you earlier that the regulations are Canadian, and that the legislation is not consistently enforced to the same degree everywhere. I believe that my case in particular, from this year, provides a clear example. I was forced to put my boat through a stability test.

Fisheries committee  I will answer that question. If I had not had a stability test done on my boat last spring, I could not have gone out to sea. This measure is applied. It is a concrete measure. If my boat had not had a stability test, the inspector would have wharfed me. I have no doubt about that.

Fisheries committee  A question, please.

Fisheries committee  I have a question. Another Transport Canada committee has studied all the impacts that new stability measures and new regulations could have in Quebec. Are you working in conjunction with that committee, or is each committee working separately? In Quebec, a group from Transport Canada meets with people once a year to explain the new regulations.

Fisheries committee  We have no problem with the structure of the current vessels fleet. The problem is that Transport Canada requirements will only increase from year to year. In order for us to have a constructive discussion today, we would have had to develop the proposed changes further.

Fisheries committee  My name is Gilles Vigneau. I am a fisherman, and a member of the Regroupement des pêcheurs professionnels des Îles-de-la-Madeleine. Over the past three years, I have been following Transport Canada's work on regulating fishing vessels. I will try to answer the question put by the member, as to how the government has come to acquire a stability test for fishing vessels.