This is not my opinion. Well, it is my opinion. The environmental part is my opinion.
I guess the environmental part is whether or not we believe there's global warming. I don't know that we can change the big picture. Can we do something about global warming? Our climate is changing. It seems to be changing. Can we do it? I personally think we could do better in terms of our emissions. We should try to do something, if we can do something. Climate is a very difficult thing. Can we do something? I'm not sure.
You made a very good point about the hook and release. My group is opposed to the hook and release. You can ask for a barbless hook. It has no bearing on the fish. It doesn't kill fish, barb or no barb.
Will hook and release save the fishery? I don't think it was hurting it. Under regulations, I could release a fish whether I had a barb or not.
We are opposed to it because we are losing people to the rivers. I know, as a fact, that we had a large decrease in applicants to the crown reserve systems. People say, “Well, if I can't retain them, I'm not going to buy a licence.” I am sure that the sales of our salmon licences will go down this year. It doesn't mean there's not going to be angling for salmon. It means people can't see the value in paying for a licence when they're going to release all fish.
We're still in the process of selling licences, so I can't give you a hard number. The numbers will come out only next year. But I will stand here and say that you will see an increase in trout licences. In New Brunswick we have two options, because people can fish for trout at a lower cost and they can accidentally hook a salmon and release it. I would assume that's going to happen.
With regard to all of these regulatory changes, though, Monsieur Cusson made the point that we have to walk the walk. I agree with him. We cannot harvest fish and ask other people to stop harvesting when we're harvesting. He is correct there.
I'm in a position where I try to promote fishing, angling. You have to have those people on the river. Those people on the river and those children on the river are your conservationists of the future. If they're not there, they will not care for the river. There is a social aspect to angling. It's getting to own the river and to take it as yours and to defend it at all costs.
By not having people on the river angling and killing fish, are we going to gain more fish? I would think maybe not. If we lose those anglers and if we don't have the kids fishing, that will be a lot worse than anything that global climate change or releasing fish would do.
We need to keep people on the river. That's important. That's what we're trying to say. Release them. They will come back; we can hook them again. True, if we don't have people on the rivers watching, taking ownership, watching for pollution, watching the foresters.... DFO can't do all the enforcement. We need people on the rivers.
You made a very good point, Mr. MacAulay.