Thank you, Mr. Chair.
My question would be for Ms. Boudreau and possibly Mr. Jones.
In fairness, Ms. Boudreau, I've heard the current minister articulate exactly what you said about promoting the value of the Canadian seal as products and how it's harvested in a humane way. In fact, in fairness, most ministers over the past 20 years have been saying the same, from both the former government and this government.
They've also been making the comment that we have to expand markets as a solution. Those markets have never come. For the seal herd, everybody recognizes that there is a current allowable hunt of somewhere between 400,000 and 500,000 animals. I understand 600,000 would be optimal to bring the seal herd back in balance on the east coast. This discussion has occurred for some time with no resolution.
To have a market, you need a customer. Who is the customer we are missing? Without a customer, I fail to see what the solution would be. Who is the customer we should be identifying for the products that would come from a sustainable harvest?
That's for Ms. Boudreau, and then I'd be curious to have Mr. Jones's comment.