Thank you, Mr. Chair.
The new measures in the Fisheries Act have been very beneficial to the fishing industry in our regions, but I have a few questions about the owner-operator provisions.
People in the industry are telling us that despite the new owner-operator regulations, there are still some concerning loopholes that allow entities or plants that aren't even in the region to buy licences at very high prices, sometimes using nominees. As I'm sure you know, in recent years, the cost of fishing licences, whether for the crab fishery or the lobster fishery, has skyrocketed in our regions. I think you've heard about the famous case of a young lobster fisherman in P.E.I. who bought a snow crab licence for over $10 million.
How do you ensure that these transactions are done properly and in accordance with the law? We still see suspicious transactions. What kind of checks do you do in that regard? When I was 24, I was still borrowing $50 from my parents to buy a pack of smokes and a few beers for the weekend. How did a young 24‑year‑old lobster fisherman get a $10 million crab licence?
Are there any laws or strict rules that make it possible to know where that money comes from? That's the number one concern of stakeholders on the ground, despite the changes to the Fisheries Act.