Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I will just explain in a few words how the process went. We started the process on the basis of a draft amended convention that brought together elements of text from other conventions, like the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission and others, as well as text that parties put on the table for their own interests. So even though the European Union had the pen, as we say, the text we worked from was a combination of pieces that came from various sources. The negotiations took place on that basis, and the discussions were on whatever text the parties wanted to have.
All during those negotiations, any text that the Canadian delegation put on the table had the agreement of our delegation, composed of all the representatives of the members of the industry, as well as the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. So it was a long process of discussions within our delegation, discussions at the table, and some negotiations on text. All of the text from the Canadian delegation was first scrutinized by our Foreign Affairs and Department of Justice experts. So this was an ongoing process throughout the negotiations.