I call this meeting to order.
Welcome to meeting number 60 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans. This meeting is taking place in a hybrid format, pursuant to the House order of June 23, 2022.
Before we proceed, I would like to make a few comments for the benefit of witnesses and members.
Please wait until I recognize you by name before speaking. For those participating by video conference, click on the microphone icon to activate your mike. Please mute yourself when you are not speaking. There is interpretation for those on Zoom. You have the choice, at the bottom of your screen, of floor, French or English. For those in the room, you can use the earpiece and select the desired channel. Please address all comments through the chair.
Screenshots or taking photos of your screen is not permitted. The proceedings will be made available via the House of Commons website.
Finally, I'll remind you all that the use of a House-approved headset is mandatory for remote participation in parliamentary proceedings. If a virtual participant is not wearing an appropriate headset, interpretation cannot be provided and therefore that person will not be able to participate in the debate.
In accordance with the committee's routine motion concerning connection tests for witnesses, I am informing the committee that all witnesses have completed the required connection tests in advance of the meeting.
Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted on January 18, 2022, the committee is resuming its study of the ecosystem impacts and the management of pinniped populations.
I would now like to welcome our first panel of witnesses.
Appearing as individuals, we have fish harvesters Trevor Jones and Eldred Woodford. Representing the Guysborough Country Inshore Fishermen's Association, we have executive director Ginny Boudreau.
I hope I pronounced those names correctly. I could easily slaughter them, being from Newfoundland.
Thank you for taking the time to appear today. You will each have up to five minutes for an opening statement.
I'll invite Mr. Jones to go first, please.