In light of the escalating crisis in the fishery, I would ask that as a committee we ask the executive directors and presidents of the various fisheries organizations who have asked for meetings with the federal minister and their provincial counterparts—that would be the FFAW in Newfoundland and Labrador, the MFU in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, the P.E.I Fishermen's Association in P.E.I., and le Regroupement des pêcheurs professionnels du sud de la Gaspésie of Quebec—to appear before the committee and to outline their concerns to us. That may help them, because it may also provide them with a grouping that could help convene a meeting with their ministerial counterparts. This would be a constructive use of our time as a fisheries and oceans committee, given the nature of the crisis of the fishery today.
On May 12th, 2009. See this statement in context.