When it comes to that percentage—70% of all convictions in a couple of fiscal years, between 2014 to 2017—I think they all targeted dry cleaners. It raises the question to me about whether ECCC is capable of and willing to take on large polluters. The case of VW is a prime example.
Yes, most certainly there's a funding issue or a resourcing issue. One thing that would be very interesting for this committee to look into is the capacity within ECCC enforcement. I believe 201 enforcement officers in 2018 were responsible for implementing not only the CEPA regulations, but also the Fisheries Act regulations across our massive country. That's not an adequate number, but I'm not sure what the right number would be. I think that's something that's worthwhile exploring.
The fact that ECCC is focused on very few substances in its inspection measures and enforcement actions and it's focused on small mom-and-pop shops, I think is troubling. It would be interesting to explore in this study by the committee why that is and what resources Environment and Climate Change Canada could have to be able to take on large-scale crimes.