Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to all of the witnesses for coming out this afternoon.
The committee has heard repeatedly that out-of-control pinniped populations are decimating juvenile Pacific salmon populations and that this is contributing to ongoing stock declines.
Dr. Carl Walters stated that he had worked with the Pacific Balance Pinniped Society “to develop proposals for commercial and first nations' harvesting of seals and sea lions, aimed at reducing pinniped populations” to salmon stock recoveries. The witness went on to say, and I quote, “Those proposals went into DFO two years ago, and the department has been sitting on them for over two years with one excuse after another for not taking any action.”
What is the status of the proposals submitted to DFO by the Pacific Balance Pinniped Society?