Thank you, Chair.
Thank you to the witnesses for being here today.
As we're going through the lines of questions today, I'm finding myself constantly going back and reflecting on what is at the core of what we're talking about today. I'm writing down over and over again the fact that we're looking at the economic well-being of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and, of course, the sustainability of the cod stocks to ensure that we have a fishery that's there not just for today but for generations to come. I think that, from what I'm hearing, there are some core values that we all have here today, which is good to hear. As we are discussing this today, there is some contradictory information that's coming forward, so I'm trying to understand the different perspectives on this.
My first question is for Mr. Bonnell.
You mentioned that, in your words, “No such historical policy commitment exists.” This isn't the root of the bigger issue I want to get at, but I do want to get some clarification around that, because my understanding—and perhaps you can correct me if I'm wrong—is that this has been referenced dozens of times, most recently in the 2021 management plan for the 2J3KL groundfish.
Can you clarify that comment for me, please?