Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I want to take Mr. Kamp up on a couple of statements. The honourable member said that fishermen have been consulted. The way I understand it, these consultations were by invitation only.
In terms of fishermen taking part in a consultation process via the Internet, I can tell you that I know a hell of a lot of fishermen in rural Newfoundland and Labrador who don't have access to the Internet. That was one of the chief complaints: it was by invitation only. Yes, there was the Internet, but in rural Newfoundland and Labrador, where these fishermen live, so many communities still don't have access to the Internet that effectively they could not take part.
As well, you talk about how many fishermen make a poor living right now. That's a fact. You are absolutely right. They don't make a great living. The other big problem we have is that young men and women don't want to go into the fishery for the most part. It's a rare breed of young Newfoundlander and Labradorian who wants to go into the fishery these days.
However, I can tell you that if these owner-operator, fleet separation policies are lifted and we go to what Mr. Donnelly said—the ITQ system in B.C.—then mark my words: fishermen and crewmen will be even poorer than they are now. They will be even poorer. By the time they pay the resource rent for the licences that will be accumulated—because we've seen that happen in other jurisdictions—they will be worse off.
Fishermen are poor. How the economic equation works right now has to change. The fishery is broken, but this is not the way to fix it.
Thank you.