Thank you, Chair.
I compliment both organizations from the east coast on their list of recommendations. They are reasonable recommendations based on fishing practices and activities in the area.
My first question will be for Mr. Cloutier.
Nowhere in the recommendations or your brief was there any reference to mitigating or minimizing the impact on the fishing area versus if DFO has to make a decision, and it's going to err on one side or the other. If one has the option, should precautionary decisions weigh heavily on market access and protecting market access, primarily to the key U.S. market, which is still approximately 60% of our market area, or on protecting the maximum amount of fishing area to be used by fishers?
If you would comment, Mr. Cloutier, and then I would ask Mr. MacPherson to comment as well.