Thank you, Chief Bernard and Chief Ginnish, for taking the time to be with us this evening. We appreciate your being here and joining us.
I have couple of questions.
We've heard this from witness after witness, and it has come up quite repeatedly and has been mentioned already in what you provided to us this evening. There is a growing frustration around the absence of direct communication, as it were, with the minister and with the department, as it relates to the indigenous fishery as well as to fisheries in all of Atlantic Canada. There is growing frustration, obviously amongst the indigenous communities but also amongst the commercial fisheries, who feel there hasn't been proper consultation or communication, or bringing people to a table of dialogue. I would like to get your thoughts as they relate to this.
Do you feel that there has been adequate communication with indigenous communities as well as with other stakeholders and interested parties such as the commercial fisheries in this area?
If I could have brief comments from both of you, that would be great.
I'll start with you, Chief Bernard.