Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
First of all, congratulations to the minister and yourselves for continuing the recognition of the Rubber Boot Brigade. These are the people who do the recreational fishery enhancements across the country. I thought that ceremony was quite nice.
I have a couple of questions for you on the Pacific Salmon Treaty. Are negotiations going on with our American cousins in that regard? Also, the ballast exchange--I know a lot of that goes with Transport, but what role is DFO playing to ensure that we have some of the most stringent ballast concerns going? Especially in the Great Lakes and on our east and west coasts, there is still a growing concern out there about ballast exchange. I'm just wondering if you could discuss those two issues, if possible.