Good morning, everyone. I now call this meeting to order.
Welcome to meeting number 28 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans.
Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted on February 1, 2022, the committee is resuming its study of science at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
This meeting is taking place in a hybrid format pursuant to the House order of November 25, 2021.
For those participating by video conference, when you are ready to speak, click on the icon to activate your mike, and please speak slowly and clearly. When you are not speaking, your mike should be on mute. For interpretation, you have the choice at the bottom of your screen of either the floor, English or French. I'll remind everyone that all comments should be addressed through the chair.
I'd now like to welcome our witnesses for today.
Of course, no strangers to THE committee and no strangers to fisheries issues, we have, as individuals, Mr. Robert Hardy, fisheries consultant, and Mr. Christopher Jones, retired senior fisheries manager, Department of Fisheries and Oceans. They're trying to work out some technical difficulties to get Mr. Jones connected properly.
We also have with us Andrew Trites, professor, marine mammal research unit, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia. Furthermore, from the David Suzuki Foundation, we have Jeffery Young, senior science and policy analyst; from Oceana Canada, Robert Rangeley, director of science; and from Wild First, Sean Jones.
We will go to our rounds of opening statements now.
We'll first go to Mr. Hardy for five minutes or less, please.