Thank you very much. I appreciate those responses.
Another issue that came out of the Coastal Community Network, Minister, involves the West Coast Vancouver Island Aquatic Management Board--a very long name for this organization. This is a board that has involved local consultation--something we've talked about in this committee forever--and there's a pilot program that has been going on for a number of years. Again, they're concerned that there's no commitment--and maybe you can correct me on that, maybe there has been a commitment that I'm not aware of--to renew the funding for the West Coast Vancouver Island Aquatic Management Board.
Because this involves the regional governments, the first nations, and every sector of the fishery--sport, commercial, and so on--there's a lot of interest locally, and we feel that the information coming from this group could perhaps be better utilized by the department. The community would like to have some assurance that funding will continue for the program and perhaps the data coming in from that will go on.
Before I ask for a response to that, I'll also raise an issue that has caused some concern here--it's coming out of coast guards, so hold on to that one. When the commissioner was asked last time he was here about cutbacks to our stations, the only one that was mentioned by name was MCTS Tofino. Of course, this is a base in my riding that monitors all the vessel traffic coming into the strait. There has been pressure for years on least-cost analyses. Victoria picks them up after they come through the Juan de Fuca Strait, and they go down....
I simply want to inform the minister that I have a letter coming your way, which you won't have received yet. There is some action there regarding the base because of a land claims treaty that's moving ahead that involves the land that the base is on in a land swap with the province, which may be in a position of giving up land for a first nations settlement. They want to exchange land that the base actually sits on and some of the surrounding area that's under provincial control. The municipality, Minister, is committed to maintaining the base and would like to see that base expanded. From my perspective, the west coast of Vancouver Island is well served by MCTS Tofino, by the officers there.
I know there's a concern that the land values have gone up so much that it's hard for some of the officers to find housing in the area. If the land switches to the province, there may well be an opportunity to provide housing for our officers in land adjacent to the base. Even on the base, I understand there's a home not being used because of asbestos concerns.
In terms of monitoring our coast, we're hopeful the department will take the view that the base should be expanded and modernized. We know the radar is doing a great job--it has about a 60-mile reach--but a large part of our coast is not being monitored. Northern Vancouver Island and that base with modern equipment is particularly well positioned to do that monitoring.
We hope that will be taken into consideration. I know it's a big concern in our coastal community.