Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
As I understand it, the coast guard is the first to intervene in the case of a disaster or of an emergency. When we talk about an emergency, we’re talking about security.
The coast guard has a home port in Sept-Îles and in Havre-Saint-Pierre that are part of my riding. In Havre-Saint-Pierre, the port is seasonal. Fishermen prepare their boats before the fishing season and they’re out to sea around the 1st April. Coast guard personnel arrive three weeks later. The situation is similar to that of a town that would open its swimming pool and the lifeguards would arrive three weeks later.
Last year, I had to intervene; offshore activities were going on. The response time between Sept-Îles and Havre-Saint-Pierre is far too long. Some even go fishing towards Anticosti and Blanc-Sablon. That’s why the port is seasonal.
We ask that coast guard vessels and personnel be ready when the fishing boats go out at the beginning of April each year.