We will call the meeting to order.
We have simultaneous interpretation for anyone who needs it.
I would like to just take a moment to welcome everyone to the committee, to welcome the members of the community and members who are in the audience. I'd certainly like to say how pleased we've been and how much we've enjoyed our trip to Îles-de-la-Madeleine. It's a beautiful, beautiful island with friendly people and with a great interest in sealing. I don't want to prejudge the committee, but I think it's an interest that our committee members share.
Before I go any further, I understand that we have seven presenters. If everyone is planning to speak, I would ask you to be as brief as you possibly can be. Those of us in political office are never brief, but I would ask you to be brief, if you possibly can be, because we have started a bit late, unfortunately. That was my fault, and I apologize for that. We started a bit late, and we do need to try to catch a plane. However, we are here for a very important issue. It's a subject that requires some further study and a subject that we want to make sure we hear your concerns about.
Before I go any further, this is Monsieur Blais's riding. I want to give him an opportunity to address you. I can tell you, as chair of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, that Monsieur Blais single-handedly got the committee out here. He deserves a lot of credit, and he has been a good supporter, not just of the sealing issue but of other fisheries and oceans issues for this area.
Thank you.