The biggest problem, and it's been around for years, is that when somebody is finally convicted of something, they get a $1,200 fine, a $2,000 fine. Here in LFA 35, if I get caught with 50 or 100 extra traps and I go to court, chances are I won't be found guilty, so it's no big deal anyway. If I'm not found guilty, I get my traps back. But if I am found guilty, I'll get a $2,000 fine, or maybe a $10,000 fine. One hundred traps at five pounds a trap over the whole season is a lot of money.
The risks far outweigh the penalties, and there's nothing to deter it. It's gone on for a number of years, and it hasn't been checked. We don't see the visibility of the enforcement officers.
You know, if you're driving down the road and you see the RCMP, you put your seat belt on. If you don't see an RCMP for weeks, you get a little slack and you don't wear it. I mean, it's human nature. If the enforcement isn't there, people are going to get away with stuff, and they've been doing it for years.
As far as the conservation measure, I've talked to several fishermen, and it's a big issue when they want the five-inch measure. We're not sure. In LFA 35, I don't think the five-inch measure is going to be the conservation measure they want. We don't have enough of them anymore. That's the same as in the gulf. In Newfoundland, I think the biggest lobster I ever bought was a three-pounder, and I might have seen one of those. So depending upon your area and your fishery, every conservation measure is going to be different.
With enforcement, I don't know if they need more money; I don't know if they need better people. We were talking today. What if you put them on a bonus for every conviction?