Thank you.
You referred to the very important issue of resource conservation. Initially, limiting fishing capacity to a certain level was a big part of the reason for vessel length restrictions and also for the cube volume of vessels. With the introduction of individual quotas, and later transferable individual quotas, restrictions had less of an impact on conservation issues.
That said, we should note that individual quotas can be very effective and can result in the elimination or changes to vessel length restrictions. This works well when the resource is available and landed prices are good. These factors can be less impactful due to the market, exchange rates, or resource conservation. That is currently what is happening with shrimp. A larger vessel is more costly. This puts a great deal of pressure on both the fisher and the department. Thus, we have to find solutions to make the vessel profitable. As I already mentioned, a larger vessel is necessarily more costly. In this context, there can be a perverse effect on conservation. Increasing vessel length can put pressure on conservation.
We have not talked about the owner-operator issue. What happens if the fisher wants to transfer his licence and enterprise to a new entrant?
If the vessel is larger as a result of a merger of the enterprise, the transport cost will necessarily be much greater. In these conditions, new fishers face a barrier to entry in that it is much more expensive to purchase a fishing enterprise. This creates financing problems. An owner who must access financing may enter into controlling agreements.
The socio-economic aspect is also taken into consideration in consultations with fishers' associations and unions. This is an extremely important aspect when considering vessel length.