Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, gentlemen, for coming. I appreciate the good information we're receiving.
Let me just start with a clarification, because I know this committee wants to be well informed. The concurrence motion that was passed in the House of Commons was a report from this committee in May of last year. Just so it's on the record, because we may have forgotten what that actually said, and it's been referred to a couple of times this morning, it said: “that the government consider the advisability of raising the current budget of $86.6 M contained in the 2006-2007 budget by $15 M for the fiscal year 2007-2008.” You can find that in Dr. Côté's recent briefing note.
Later in that document it reminds us that the small craft harbours budget now stands at $109.2 million for this year. So it looks like we actually did better than $15 million if you do the math. But my question isn't related to that.
The small craft harbours vision statement says:
The existence of a critical national network of harbours, in good working condition, capable of meeting the principal needs of the commercial fishing industry. These harbours will be operated and managed by strong professional and independent Harbour Authorities (HAs).These HAs, representing users and local communities, will assume full responsibility for all activities at their harbours, including the management and conduct of minor maintenance activities, and provide significant financial contributions to funding their harbours.
I want to start there with that last clause. In terms of the revenue sources for doing what needs to be done at small craft harbours, what does this mean, “providing significant financial contributions to funding their harbours”? Is that referring only to these minor maintenance activities they take responsibility for?
Related to that, in terms of the model that we're using, have there been any discussions, or should there be any discussions in your opinion, about industry--let's call it that for now--or other fishing stakeholders and users having a greater responsibility for funding the small craft harbours?