Mr. Chair, under the EI regulations, there are two sets of EI: there's employer-employee EI--regular EI--and there's fishermen's EI. Fishermen's EI is structured towards self-employed fishermen. If, for example, Rene Genge were to hire somebody to go sealing with him, his employee would be eligible for EI while Rene collected revenue from his sale of seals. A fisherman applying for fishermen's EI benefits would not. However, what I don't fathom at all is that an Irish moss fisherman in P.E.I. can actually collect fishermen's EI benefits from harvesting and selling plants--seaweed--but you can't from selling a seal because it's a mammal and not a fish. This is something I think this committee should.... It's crazy.
