First of all, I'd like to say that our government welcomes the collaboration between industry and first nations to grow the Canadian seafood industry. This project represents a positive step to building a strong partnership between indigenous communities and the commercial seafood sector.
It's a business venture, of course, that is voluntary. It's a commercial transaction between Premium Brands, Clearwater Seafoods and the coalition of Mi'kmaq nations. I'm going to continue to work with all partners to make sure that the seafood sector is sustainable for the long term.
As I've said many times, conservation has to underpin every decision that we make. I believe that first nations, as well as commercial harvesters, believe that as well. That is going to have to be the underlying theme of everything we do: making sure that we conserve the species for the long term.