One of the challenges would be the allocation disputes. It would be a good thing if we could move past those--in area 12, for example, or in areas 23 and 24--and have all the harvesting sector working together for their interests.
Another challenge is the harvester-dealer distrust. We should try to have the two sectors work as partners in a global industry, because oftentimes we find ourselves, in Atlantic Canada, as price-takers. We don't work collectively to manage the timing of landing, the quality, and the marketing of the crab and other species. So the people who want our products globally would then have to compete a little more for them, instead of just saying “Here's what you get, take it or leave it”, and then the low price falls all the way down the line.
Another challenge we have is this balance of exploitation rate. It should be done based on sound resource management principles, and not based on fear or motherhood issues. You know, the science says be really conservative and have a precautionary approach, when the whole fishery may have a built-in precautionary approach, a built-in perfect set-up for resource harvesting.
We need to expand our markets. The U.S. dollar is killing us in all our fisheries. See if China wants to eat snow crab. I can't see why they wouldn't. It's a great product, and there are a lot of people getting a lot of money in China now who like shellfish and western food.