Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the witnesses, which I hadn't yet done. Their comments are very interesting and have enlightened us on many points
I'd like to turn to Mr. Bateman.
You talked about the failure of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans in the cod fishery. Back home, the cod fishery in the St. Lawrence River is of great concern to us. You also recommend that an independent panel of experts be allowed to work outside the department.
What is an integrated stock assessment? What is included in the assessment? Could all of this be done by an independent team with more clout in the department?