Thank you, Chair.
Welcome back, witnesses.
Deputy Minister Gibbons, I'll put these questions to you. Then if somebody else can answer, that's okay as well.
My first question is about the ghost gear program. We know that many organizations have been taking part in the important work of cleaning up our oceans and that there has been a lot of success as a result of this. I don't need information about what that looks like, but now the concern is that we have cuts. I'm hearing that an international conference is coming up in February that's likely going to talk about how great the program is, but how much can be celebrated when the funding is now cut? This means that the people doing the work are going to be out of jobs. They're going to move into other areas and the costs are going to double.
When it starts up again with funding, if it starts up again, there will be more damage and implications, so I don't understand the logic behind cutting this vital program. I'm wondering whether you can share what the plan is, other than everybody gathering to pat themselves on the back at this conference in February.