If I may, I'd like to make a very important comment. I'm going to give you an example concerning the Magdalen Islands. Approximately five years ago, the municipalities paid for electricity. They paid dividends and managed virtually everything. The municipality provided a lot of services. Then budget cuts were made, at both the federal and provincial levels, and that affected the municipalities. The Magdalen Islands had to force the nine fishing harbours to pay all electricity costs.
In addition, this year, for 2007 especially, one of the bigger challenges the fishing harbours must face is to find a way to dispose of waste. Today, a fishing harbour must pay approximately $20,000 a year. That means it has to find $20,000 more from users. To be able to reduce that cost from $20,000 to $12,000, we had to buy a waste compactor. That machine is worth approximately $50,000.
Let's consider the obligations of all users, of all harbour authorities. The federal government has to intervene financially. How do you think we can ask the taxpayers of the Magdalen Islands or North Shore...
In addition, in the southern part of the Gaspé Peninsula and Prince Edward Island, fishermen's incomes are quite low. Some fishermen earn approximately $12,000 to $15,000 a year. How do you think we can ask them to contribute more, financially speaking, to harbour facilities as a whole? I think that's impossible. Some fishermen are able to pay, but I don't think we can ask them to do it directly; that's ridiculous.