I know they're frustrated. I know the individuals who have spoken to you are struggling.
This is a fishery that was doing extremely well ten years ago. They had a very attractive fishery. It was very lucrative. It was a fishery that many people wanted to get into. Now it is a fishery in which many are choosing not to fish. Their earnings don't actually meet their costs, so they're actually choosing not to fish. That's why the total production is less than the allocation. It's very frustrating to them.
I take the point that some are raising, that they believe the increased production related to the Heiltsuk may be depressing prices. The evidence we have suggests that's probably not the case and that there are other things going on--the global market and the other things that I've explained--but it doesn't take away from their frustration, and I know that.
We believe that ultimately we have to find a long-term solution and that ultimately they need to be part of that solution. I'm not quite sure what that long-term solution is, but it has to be found by the Heiltsuks, the roe herring industry, including the spawn-on-kelp association, and us.
In 2006 we were able to get something most of us could live with, and we felt that the fishery for the roe herring went ahead very smoothly. We would hope to have at least that arrangement again in 2007. There are other significant interests at stake out here--the roe herring fishery--which are much larger. And it's important that that fishery be allowed to carry on, and with civility.
So I know they're frustrated. We're going to work with them. We have not given up. We remain confident we can find a solution. We think we're on the right path.
This is difficult. We understand that, but we think we've got the right approach here to find a solution.