Thank you. We recognize when people are polite and impolite. I didn't sense that with you at all, not at all.
I suppose that in one way the solution is a simple one. It's simply to say that what we need is a downsizing of the number of harvesters and the number of processing facilities. In this province we've seen that some of the cooperatives have worked, but if you're thinking of a total cooperative as a fishing entity within the province, I think we're a long way from that.
Speaking specifically of the harvesting sector, my take on it is that whether you're in a 35-foot-11 or one of the larger ones, you have to have enough quota both to provide you with a reasonable standard of living and at the same time to maintain your operation and the expense that's incurred there. I think it comes down to good science in ensuring that the stock remains vibrant, and secondly to ensuring that the boats that remain in this fishery have sufficient quota.
There's a group here that we haven't talked much about, although I mentioned them briefly, and that's our plant workers. We're talking about a sector in this industry in which the average income, on an annual basis, is probably about $15,000 a year. If you tell me that somebody can survive and live reasonably on that, it just totally amazes me that people are able to do that. Again, it's going to require a strong commitment on the part of the people who are involved in this MOU that we have on the go, and it's going to require commitment by both levels of government.