Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I would tend to agree with my colleague Mr. Cormier.
I imagine that pelagic fishers, including offshore shrimp fishers, who are following the proceedings of our committee are wondering why offshore vessels are being reinstated when it has been shown that this fishing technique had messed up part of the resource decades ago. Today, instead of supporting owner-operators and boosting the local or regional economy, these boats are being put back into the water, even though we know the impact that will have. How do you at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans explain this decision?
Talk to mackerel fishers or shrimp fishers who haven't been able to convert their boats in order to fish redfish. In any case, the quotas weren't worth it. Cod fishers received financial compensation at the time. Today, however, those who were impacted by the closure of the fishery aren't getting any money. What are you telling them?