No. It's worse than that by far. It's a slap in the face.
I've been 20 years with my licence. I own three-quarters of the large eel fishery in Hants county, the county I live in, and I've been walked over steady. You know, I tried every.... I'm a legal fisher and have never been charged. I've been boarded dozens of times, and I'm very well known for being a legal fisherman. My children are legal fishermen. My daughter is a fisher as well.
You know, the minister had many options. She gave these licences to groups that didn't want them. The employees did not want these—they voiced that very clearly—but the big eel fishery did.
This is one species. This is the American eel. Somehow they've separated this from juveniles to adults. We have 239 large eel fishers who have been displaced by the elver fishery. Many of us—150 of us—want entry. We have something to give back, as well, for conservation and precaution. I have 300 pots I can give the minister and say, “Okay, allow me a fair shake at this.”
The employees don't want this. They've voiced—