Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Welcome, everyone.
I just wanted to ask a couple of questions.
Internationally Canada has signed on to an agreement stipulating that 17% of land and 10% of ocean be conserved. How far are we from that? How much have we done so far, and where do we need to go from there?
That's my first question.
We used to have an oceans strategy that sunsetted a while ago. Do you believe that the oceans strategy should be brought back? What are the elements of the oceans strategy that we should bring in to ensure we fulfill the 10% conservation requirement for our oceans?
James said that, as a British Columbian, he knows the salmon is iconic in this province. It's more than a fish. The salmon in fact is an indicator of how habitat is doing. So the big question I want Brian to answer is whether he believes that the ebb and flow of salmon is a natural thing or that it reflects the habitat. That's my second question.
My third question is what do you think would be the impact of the proposed Enbridge pipeline coming through British Columbia? How will it impact on our ecosystem, and in what ways will it actually be contradictory to a national conservation plan for British Columbia? What will the tanker traffic do to the fish and ocean habitat?
Ms. O'Loughlin, I think the first one is for you, regarding 17% of land and 10% of ocean.