I don't have a written presentation, but I want to make a few comments on stability.
Back in 1997, I had a boat at King's Point. To get that boat built, I had to get some specifications from the government to give to the boat builder to make sure she was constructed right. After bringing that boat back to Bonavista, and then, after she was seaworthy, getting another inspector to come aboard from the government agency and inspect the boat, I had to do more modifications to the boat.
What I'm saying on stability is, are we all singing out of the same book? She was okay to be built at King's Point, and she was inspected down there and everything was okay, and when I got back to Bonavista the boat was not up to specifications according to another inspector. Do these inspectors have different books for different areas, or different regulations for different areas when it comes to safety aboard the boats?
Another thing in looking at the stability of the boats is that fishermen, in this day and age, have to go off a lot farther. When I first started to fish, it was only under the shore. I had cod traps. Now we're going up as high as 270 miles in boats 64 feet 11 inches in length. With these boats, you have to have something there--what we call “under your feet”--to be going off that far. If you get caught in a storm or wind, or something like that, you need that. There is no doubt about it, stability is a big thing. We have to train a lot of people about stability, especially in the fishing industry, because a lot of people don't understand. A lot of people do understand, but I think a bit of training on stability would be a safety factor for us guys who are on the water and steaming a long way.
Mr. Chairman, that's all I have to say.