As far as telling ministers about our concerns, as deputy minister of fisheries in 1989 I worked very closely with Clyde Wells--as did Mr. Dean--on an approach to take with foreign overfishing. It involved the foreign overfishing campaign and a very vigorous international campaign to change the Law of the Sea.
Premier Wells made it one of his priorities to go to the various Law of the Sea conferences in Rio, New York, and other places to try to change the Law of the Sea, recognizing that the provisions that applied to Canada weren't really working.
So throughout my tenure I had extensive involvement with Mr. Wells.
I didn't work with Mr. Tobin on this file to advise him how I felt this matter should be dealt with, so I can't really say.
On the question of advising this committee how to go forward in terms of solutions, what works, and problems with the NAFO convention, I am certainly prepared to offer any suggestions or thoughts you might find useful. I'd be quite pleased and honoured to be given the opportunity to do that.