Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I would like to thank the witnesses for being here today. As indicated earlier, marine protected areas have been a topic of discussion for some time, and that will no doubt continue in the future.
Something occurred to me recently. Some people say it would take a catastrophe, a scourge, for us to start protecting our oceans. Yet people with the most basic knowledge know that our oceans are in trouble. They are polluted by plastics and contaminants of all kinds. There are some very serious problems. Fortunately, our governments—the previous government and the current one—have made a commitment to protecting our oceans, that is, 10% of our oceans in 2017.
Is protecting our oceans a political issue?
Does the science truly support what we are doing?