Speaking to the subamendment, if someone were to put into the subamendment that it should be for only one year of funding, I'd say that one year was insufficient, because we have an industry in absolute crisis. So that subamendment would not be appropriate, if it were put forward. It wouldn't be appropriate because we have an industry in crisis right now, and we have an organization that's being called upon by the industry to show leadership. One year of funding would actually result in the organization spending most of that year trying to create the circumstances for funding after that year.
We need to have that organization's energy and focus devoted strictly and solely to the crisis in the lobster industry, and the fishing industry generally. We have a shutdown of crab throughout Newfoundland now. We have a billion-dollar industry in Newfoundland that has shut down.
If anyone doesn't think we have a billion-dollar lobster industry shut down, let me read this to you from seafood.com, the most authoritative source on the seafood industry in the world. This is from Seafood.com News, by Jack MacAndrew, dated May 6, 2009:
Canadian lobster season in chaos as buyers cannot handle landings For as long as any fishermen can remember, they set as many traps as they were allowed; caught as many lobsters as they could; dumped his catch on the wharf for as much as they could get for them; and then went on about their business. The rest of the processing, marketing and other aspects of the lobster industry was somebody else's business. That routine came to a sudden end yesterday, just five landing days into the spring lobster season. Some buyers on the wharves of PEI and other ports in New Brunswick and the Magdalen Islands weren't buying at all. Others told their fishermen that processors had set a 500 pound daily limit per boat on their purchases. Processors said they had to do something to stop the glut of lobsters at their doors, the result of daily bumper catches of 2000 and better pounds by fishermen in the first days of the season. And there's more bad news for fishermen on the way, what some are calling their own ' perfect storm. ' The shore price for their catch hasn't yet been set, but it is due tomorrow ( Thursday ), with expectations of $CDN 2.75 ( $US $2.33) a pound for the smaller size canners, which make up the bulk ( about 75 per cent) of the catch; and $CDN3.50 ( $US 2.97) for markets. Fishermen say that 500 pounds of lobster at those prices is ruinous, and doesn't come close to covering expenses, especially when so much of the catch is in the smaller size canners, useful only for processing. It doesn't take 300 traps, the number set by Department of Fisheries regulation in the areas fishing the spring season, to land 500 pounds.
I could go on, but I think I've made the point here.
This is an industry in absolute crisis. The decision can't be made to allow the government to just review it. The decision can't be made to allow the government 15, 30, or 45 days to review it, and then say no. The decision has to be made by this committee—if we are advocates for fishermen and the fishing industry—to make a specific recommendation to the government that this must occur now, and that full funding should be brought in.
Mr. Allen, as to your point on what is full funding, it's the funding that was applied for by the CCFI.