Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Minister, on January 30 you received a letter from 16 professors and research scientists who have cumulatively published over 1,500 peer-reviewed scientific papers. They have many decades of experience in science advice and processes across various levels of government.
Those who signed this letter expressed deep concern about the recently published DFO science report on the presence of sea lice on wild juvenile salmon and a diminishment of the association of sea lice from nearby salmon farms. They stated that this report is flawed and its conclusions unsupported. They used a couple of examples. The report included contributors who were almost all aquaculture-focused DFO staff with a mandate to support aquaculture development. A second point, among many others, is that the report downplays a large body of peer-reviewed research that has repeatedly demonstrated the relationship between salmon farms and sea lice on wild juvenile salmon.
I'm wondering whether the minister can speak to what she is doing to ensure the scientific advice used in decision-making processes meets the very basic scientific standard of credibility.