Thank you, Mr. Chair.
My name is Denis Trudel, and I am the member of Parliament for Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, which is on the other end of the country. The issue of salmon seems to be a bit unique here, in Quebec. All I know about salmon is that my father-in-law fishes it in the beautiful Matapédia River in the Gaspé.
I found the witnesses' comments very interesting. It's a little concerning to hear that there have been fewer catches in the last year in Canada. There were some interesting topics such as shared responsibility and degradation of salmon habitat. One witness suggested changing the salmon ecosystem altogether. I think these concepts are very important.
I would like to ask a broader question and get a response from each witness.
Since the beginning of this committee study, witnesses have stressed the importance of good consultation between the department and the various stakeholders, such as our witnesses, and scientists. A budget was recently tabled.
Has the government's concerted effort been reflected in the budget tabled last month?
Mr. Hurwitz, would you like to start?