Thank you, Mr. Chair. You have done a wonderful job so far. No complaints here.
Mr. DeMarco, thank you for joining us today.
I'll address some of the concerns raised by my colleague, Caroline Desbiens. We just heard the announcement regarding the reopening of the redfish fishery, which has been closed for the past 30 years. It's happening right here, in front of me, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. I have many concerns about this. However, I want to acknowledge the tremendous work done by Minister Lebouthillier to reopen this fishery.
I read your report and I also heard what you said today about the lack of data, for example. Given the opening of this fishery, which unfortunately closed 30 years ago, I wonder what steps will be taken to make it sustainable and beneficial to communities. These are my concerns. As you know, the new Fisheries Act clearly states that the fishery must benefit our communities.
I'm deeply concerned about the fact that large vessels will be coming into the Gulf of St. Lawrence. I would like your opinion on this. I know that, in your report, you talk at length about sustainable fishing and community benefits.
Are we on the right path? I know that many discussions are under way and that no decision has been made yet. However, if we want the redfish fishery to last for a long time, shouldn't we make sure that the opening of this fishery will benefit communities, not big companies?