Welcome everybody.
Before we get to any interventions, I want to welcome to our guests, but before we get to our guests, I have just a couple of things. Let me get to the reason why we're here.
Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted by the Committee on Monday, September 19, 2016, the Committee commenced its study of review of changes to the Fisheries Act.
The motion of September 19 is as follows:
That the Committee, in light of the letter provided by the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard & the Minister of Transport, review and study the scope of application of the Fisheries Act, and specifically the serious harm to fish prohibition; how the prohibition is implemented to protect fish and fish habitat; the capacity of Fisheries and Oceans Canada to deliver on fish and fish habitat protection through project review, monitoring, and enforcement; the definitions of serious harm to fish and commercial, recreational, and Aboriginal fisheries; the use of regulatory authorities under the Fisheries Act; and other related provisions of the act, and provide its recommendations in a report to the House, no later than Tuesday, February 28, 2017.
This is our first meeting, and I want to welcome our guests. Before we get to that, however, I have just a bit of housekeeping. It was suggested that we televise the hearings. As you can see, we are not in a place where we are televising for a reason. We found out that when we used Centre Block we could televise, but we could not video conference at the same time. It doesn't have the technological capacity to provide that.
That being said, we are here today at 151 Sparks Street because we could not get a room in 1 Wellington Street, which is the only place where we can do both. It was booked up. On Wednesday, we won't need video conferencing. The minister will be here, and it will be televised.
Following the constituency week, we will return to 1 Wellington Street, where we're able to do both. So we are able to accommodate that, and I want to thank our clerk for arranging that, as was directed by our committee.
Before we go to the witnesses, did I see Mr. Donnelly put his hand up?
Mr. Donnelly.