Thank you very much. I'm sure there will be many people interested in our looking at it, especially unique habitat and species. We all have an interest in seeing unique areas protected while we go on with our other activities.
We don't have our regional director for British Columbia, Mr. Sprout, with us here today. Mr. Bevan, perhaps you would be able to help us with this.
I note some concerns specific to my riding--a big run on the Alberni Inlet, both sockeye and chinook. The sports sector is particularly important to this community of Port Alberni. It is one of the salmon capitals of the world, you know. We do have a competing community on the east side of the island, Campbell River, that claims that title as well. The sporties in particular are concerned about the chinook.
This past year we had this big salmon derby, which is a very big economic driver in the community, but the commercial chinook fishery opened prior to the sports one. Frankly, the fishermen were out in those boats with high hopes, and the catch wasn't very good. Even though conservation methods, our targets, were hit, the sporties actually missed their targets by 50% in the last two years, and that does have quite an economic impact. I just wanted you to take note of that. I wonder whether you could look into that at Parliament, whether or not you're taking consideration of that.
Also, they're asking for a multi-sectoral sockeye committee to review the catchments there, because again I think there is a need to look at the escapement targets, which were way beyond what was anticipated.