Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to all three of you for joining us today. It's much appreciated.
It is so important for us to hear this information. I'm new to the committee, but I've reviewed some of the testimony that's previously been given on the study of small craft harbours. I know that the committee visited southwestern Nova Scotia. There was a meeting in Barrington, where I know there was some very important input given. This is helpful again today.
I want to start by agreeing with all of you about how important the seafood industry is to Nova Scotia and to southwestern Nova Scotia, in particular. I know today, on CBC Nova Scotia, I think it was Paul Withers, who did a story. He said that the ports in southwestern Nova Scotia are “the engines driving the province's thriving $1.1 billion seafood industry”. This was according to data collected from buyers. I think that number reflects the fact that in southwestern Nova Scotia alone, about half of the seafood landings in all of Nova Scotia are caught. We're one of the leaders in the entire country. It is concentrated in southwestern Nova Scotia.
This is a good news story. I've always said that we need to give the proper tools and investments to the fishermen, who are driving the economy in southwestern Nova Scotia. Nothing is more important than ensuring their safety at their ports of call, so that they can do the job that they're supposed to be doing to drive our economy.
I want to start with you, Mr. Facey.
Over the past couple of years, we've had many discussions. I have met with you and your harbour authority. I want to ask you what your vision would be for funding from DFO. We know there have been cash injections made over the last few years on a one-time basis.
Rather than having those one-time cash injections, do you think it would be preferable to go to capital fixes to increase what's known, in federal budgeting terms, as A-base funding, so that there is a more predictable amount of money every year that harbour authorities and DFO can use to plan?