Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to the witnesses for being here. They are very informative.
By way of introduction, I'm going to tell my colleagues about a film I saw on the weekend in Baie‑Saint‑Paul, Ocean Seen from the Heart. This amazing film, which I recommend to everyone, was directed by Marie‑Dominique Michaud and Iolande Cadrin‑Rossignol. It is originally in French, but subtitled in English.
According to the Quebec film, which is making the rounds internationally, humans should not think that their actions to improve the state of the oceans will be effective if they themselves do not feel personally involved with the oceans. Everything is interrelated.
Some leading Quebec scientists took part in the film. They include Mario Cyr, a diver originally from the Magdalen Islands whom I met when I went there and whom my colleague Mr. Cormier surely knows as well, Lyne Morissette, who has appeared before this committee several times, and Hubert Reeves, an astronomer with an all-encompassing view of humanity. All these people went to places around the world where initiatives were under way to restore the natural order.
Chief Frost, I know that what I'm saying resonates with you, because you have exactly that perspective. You talk about conservation, and we have two avenues for working to restore the natural order, which is a term I prefer to use instead of “stock rebuilding”. It's more about restoring the natural ecological balance of the marine environment and improving the land-based human relationship with that environment.
With that in mind, two things must be taken into account: conservation and our relationship with fossil fuels. I'd like to hear your comments on the funding allocated to the recovery of endangered marine species versus the funding still being invested in fossil fuels today, in 2024. These fuels create more pollution and, by extension, contribute to climate change. Shouldn't we rethink the ratio of those investments, meaning increase investments to restore the natural order of things and reduce investments in fossil fuels?